Hunter Poon

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Hunter Robert George Poon (14 May 1894 - 25 January 1980) was the first player of Chinese descent to appear in Australian first-class cricket[1]

Born Ander Leppit George Poon near Ballina, New South Wales to a Cantonese man who had migrated to Australia to work on the north Queensland goldfields, and his Anglo-Australian wife, Ander Leppit George Poon became Hunter Robert George Poon when the clerk registering his birth could not understand Poon's father's accent[1]. Poon moved with his family to Toowoomba, Queensland and was educated at Toowoomba Grammar School, becoming a school teacher after graduation. A right arm leg spin bowler and right handed batsman, Poon became a leading cricketer around Toowoomba[1].

His career was interrupted by World War I, and Poon enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 5 September 1916, serving as a Lance Corporal with the 15th Battalion in France, where he was injured[2].

Returning from the war, Poon continued to star in Toowoomba cricket and was chosen to represent Queensland in a first-class match against Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starting 21 December 1923. While Poon was unable to take a wicket and scored only 10 and two, his selection caused international headlines[3].

Although Poon never again played first-class cricket, he did play against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club twice. Representing Toowoomba, Poon played against MCC in December 1924, taking 0/19 and, batting at number four, scoring 11 and 0[4]. In February 1933, during the Bodyline series, Poon represented Queensland Country against MCC in Toowoomba, taking 2/123 and 0/23 and scoring one with the bat. Poon took the Wickets of Herbert Sutcliffe, stumped by future Test wicket keeper Don Tallon, and Gubby Allen.[5].

Poon died in Greenslopes, Brisbane in 1980, aged 85. The second cricketer of Chinese background to play first-class cricket in Australia, Richard Chee Quee, would not make his first-class debut until 1993[6].


[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Cashman, R., Franks, W. et al. (!997) The A-Z of Australian Cricketers, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
  2. ^ "World War I Nominal Roll", File 42-077, Commonwealth of Australia, http://www.awm.gov.au/nominalrolls/ww1/results.asp. Accessed 1 March 2008.
  3. ^ The Evening Post "Chinaman picked for Queensland", 24 December 1923, Wellington, New Zealand.
  4. ^ Scorecard, Cricket Archive, http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/109/109259.html Accessed 12 March 2008.
  5. ^ Scorecard, Cricinfo, http://content-www.cricinfo.com/bodyline/engine/match/316042.html Accessed 2 March 2008.
  6. ^ Scorecard, Cricinfo, http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/57/57042.html Accessed 14 March 2008.