David Hunter (cricketer)
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David Hunter was the first in a proud lineage of Yorkshire County Cricket Club wicket keepers, stretching through on through Arthur Dolphin through Arthur Wood, Jimmy Binks to David Bairstow. He played 520 first class games for the White Rose between 1888 and 1909.
He also appeared in first class cricket for Lord Hawke's XI (1889), North of England (1889-1907), L Hall's XI (1889), Players (1890-1909), Hurst Park Club (1890), L Hall's Yorkshire XI (1891), XI of Yorkshire (1894), Over 30 (1901), CI Thornton's XI (1902-1905), Lancashire and Yorkshire (1903-1909), Rest of England (1904) and Lord Londesborough's XI (1909).
In 552 matches in total he took 913 catches and completed 350 stumpings. A modest right handed tailend batsman, he nevertheless compiled 4,538 runs at 12.03 with a best of 58* against Worcestershire CCC. Over the years he held up his end in stands of 53, 148, 121, 118 and 102 for the tenth wicket. He did bowl 42 balls as well, conceding 43 runs and not taking a wicket.
Born on February 23, 1860 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, he succeeded his brother Joseph as the Yorkshire wicketkeeper at the relatively late age of 28 but was then an almost ever present player for the following two decades. Like most great keepers he was quiet and neat behind the stumps, going about his work without fuss but with great efficiency. It's testament to his 'good hands' that he never suffered a serious finger injury, nor were his hands damaged at the end of his career, despite the comparatively crude equipment and heavy workload of the time. In Louis Hall's benefit match against Surrey CCC at Sheffield in 1891 he caught five men and stumped one in an innings and against the same county seven years later claimed eight of the twenty wickets, catching two and stumping six at Bradford. He was a doughty performer right up to the end of his career, making six catches in an innings, again against Surrey, at Headingley in his last year.
He helped Yorkshire win the Championship 8 times and received £1,975 from his benefit match in the Roses clash against Lancashire at Bradford in 1897. Noted for always playing in the spirit of the game he remains a famous name in Yorkshire cricket. He died on January 11, 1927 in Northstead, Scarborough at the age of 66.
