John Crossland

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John "Jack" Crossland (born April 2 1852, died September 26 1903) was an English professional cricketer who played for Lancashire between 1878 and 1887.

He was a right-arm fast bowler of great renown but even greater controversy. Like his celebrated contemporary Johnny Briggs, Crossland was born in Nottinghamshire but later moved to Lancashire.

Crossland was one of the fastest bowlers of his day, but he was strongly suspected of throwing the ball¹. In 1882, Billy Murdoch, captain of the Australian tourists, announced that several English bowlers would be no-balled if they ever came to play in Australia. Another who felt very strongly about the matter was Lord Harris, who chaired the selection panel for England's Test side that year. With Fred Morley injured, Crossland was considered well worthy of a place in the line-up, but he had no chance with Harris in charge.

WG Grace, however, tried to have Crossland selected for England.^{[citation needed]}Other Lancashire bowlers of his era suspected of throwing were Nash and Arthur Mold.

Crossland played on nevertheless for Lancashire through 1882 and 1883, being no-balled for throwing at last in the latter season -- but only in local cricket; indeed, no umpire ever called him a first-class match. In 1885, Harris wrote to Lancashire to inform them his Kent team would not play them if Crossland or George Nash were selected. This was a severe blow to the Red Rose men, as Notts had already declined to play them before on the grounds that Crossland, Nottinghamshire-born, was not qualified for Lancashire. Middlesex had taken similar action.

Crossland's career ended in controversy when it was discovered that he had spent several months in 1884 living in Nottinghamshire, thereby breaking his residency qualification for Lancashire. The MCC ruled that he was not, therefore, qualified. It was a technicality which writer David Frith compared to convicting Al Capone of tax evasion.^{[citation needed]} Crossland was immediately dropped, and Nash went, too, at the end of the season.