George Macan

George Macan (9 September 1853 – 2 November 1943) was an Irish-born lawyer and reporter, and a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Cambridge University between 1872 and 1875.^[1] He was born at Castlebellingham, County Louth, Ireland and died at Wimbledon, London.

Biography

Macan was educated at Harrow School and Trinity Hall, Cambridge.^[2] As a cricketer, Macan was a right-handed middle- or lower-order batsman and a right-arm slow bowler, though he did not bowl in first-class cricket.^[1] He played in a single match for Cambridge University in 1872, and then reappeared fairly regularly in 1873, scoring 57 against an "England XI" which was a rather pale shadow of the All-England cricket teams that played as "England" in the period before international cricket began; the 57 was his highest first-class score, but he was unsuccessful in other matches and was not picked for the 1873 University Match against Oxford University.^[3] In one match, he played for "the Gentlemen of England" against the university side.^[1] Though he failed to pass 50 again, he was more consistently successful in both 1874 and 1875 and played in the University Match in both seasons. In 1874, he made 6 and 12 as a poor Cambridge batting side was overwhelmed by an innings and 92 runs; in 1875, he made 2 and 1 not out as Cambridge lost by just six runs.^[4][5] He played no further first-class cricket after leaving Cambridge, but is recorded in non-first-class scorecards from Marylebone Cricket Club and other amateur sides up to 1890.^[1]

Macan graduated from Cambridge University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1875 and then qualified as a lawyer, being called to the bar in 1877.^[2] He did not practise as a barrister, but instead acted as a court reporter, working for the Law Times Reports in the Chancery Division.^[2]

References