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Ledger Hill

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Ledger Hill
Personal information
Full name
Arthur James Ledger Hill
Born(1871-07-26)26 July 1871
Bassett, Hampshire, England
Died6 September 1950(1950-09-06) (aged 79)
Romsey, Hampshire, England
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm underarm-fast
RelationsAnthony Hill (son)
Richard Page (nephew)
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 98)13 February 1896 v South Africa
Last Test21 March 1896 v South Africa
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1890–1893Cambridge University
1890–1911/12Marylebone Cricket Club
1895–1921Hampshire
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class
Matches 3 221
Runs scored 251 10,353
Batting average 62.75 27.98
100s/50s 1/1 19/44
Top score 124 199
Balls bowled 40 16,918
Wickets 4 305
Bowling average 2.00 27.99
5 wickets in innings 0 4
10 wickets in match 0 1
Best bowling 4/8 7/36
Catches/stumpings 1/– 143/–
Source: Cricinfo, 6 November 2022

Arthur James Ledger Hill (26 July 1871 – 6 September 1950) was an English cricketer. He scored the first-ever first-class century in India.

Early life and Oxford cricket

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The son of James Ledger Hill, he was born in July 1871 at Bassett, Hampshire. He was educated at Marlborough College, playing cricket, rugby, and racquets for the college.[1] At Marlborough, he was coached in cricket by Joseph Potter. From there, he matriculated to Jesus College, Cambridge.[2] While studying at Cambridge, Hill made his debut in first-class cricket for Cambridge University against C. I. Thornton's XI at Fenner's in 1890. He was a regular feature in the Cambridge eleven until 1893, making 34 appearances for Cambridge and gaining a blue in each of those seasons for his participation in The University Match against Oxford at Lord's.[3][2] For Cambridge, he scored 975 runs an average of 17.90, with a highest score of 75, one of four half centuries he made for Cambridge.[4] With his right-arm fast bowling, he took 66 wickets at a bowling average of 23.78, with best figures of 4 for 23.[5]

During Hill's studies at Cambridge, he also made a number of first-class appearances for other teams. He made his first appearance for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture of 1891 at Hastings, and later toured British India and Ceylon with Lord Hawke's XI, making four first-class appearances.[3] Hill made history on this tour, scoring the maiden first-class century in Indian domestic cricket when he made 132 against All-India at Allahabad; he had been dropped on zero at the beginning of his innings.[6][7] Hill had success in the first-class part of the tour with the bat, scoring 212 runs at an average of 35.33.[8] With the ball, he took 16 wickets at an average of 12.18, including his maiden five wicket haul (5 for 7) against the Parsees.[9][10] He also toured North America with Lord Hawke's XI in 1894, making two first-class appearances against the Gentlemen of Philadelphia.[3]

Hampshire

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Early years at Hampshire

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Hill, in the year he played Test cricket

Hill first played county cricket in 1888 for Wiltshire, five years prior to the official formation of its county club.[11] He first played for Hampshire in 1890, when they were a second-class county. Having regained their first-class status in 1894, which had been lost in 1885, he made his debut for Hampshire in first-class cricket against Somerset in the 1895 County Championship.[3] He made twenty first-class appearances for Hampshire during the season, scoring 800 runs at an average of 21.05,[8] whilst with the ball he took 16 wickets at an average of 38.18.[9]

Following the season, Hill once again toured with Lord Hawke's personal team, this time touring South Africa.[12][13] Hill performed well on the tour,[14] gaining him selection for the matches against South Africa, for which the touring team was designated as England. Hill played in all three matches against South Africa, which were later retrospectively granted Test status.[15] In the first Test at Port Elizabeth, he made scores of 25 and 37.[16] In England's innings victory in the second Test at Johannesburg, he made a half century (65 runs),[17] whilst in the third Test, which was also an innings victory for England, he made a century (124 runs) opening the batting.[18] He concluded his brief Test career with 251 runs at an average of 62.75,[19] whilst with the ball he took 4 wickets at an average of exactly 2.[20] A banker by profession,[21] following the conclusion of the tour Hill remained in South Africa on business, resulting in him not partaking in the 1896 English season.[22]

Hill returned for the 1897 season, opening his season by playing for Charles Thornton's personal eleven against Cambridge University. He featured for Hampshire on fourteen occasions throughout the season, in addition to playing for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture.[3] He made one century and scored 540 runs during the season,[8] but had greater success with the ball, taking 40 wickets at an average of 21.20, whilst taking his career-best figures of 7 for 36 against Leicestershire.[9][23] His good all-round form continued across into the following season, with Hill again taking 40 wickets at an average of 21.50,[9] whilst improving his batting return with 662 runs at an average of 30.09;[8] he a score of 199 against Surrey at The Oval that season, which was to be the highest of his career.[12][11] He featured less frequently in 1899, but still managed to score 672 runs at an average of 39.52,[8] making 168 against Warwickshire.[24] However, his bowling returns declined significantly in 1899 with 17 wickets at an average of 49.58, but improved in 1900 when he took 30 wickets at an average of 31.06.[9]

Later career with Hampshire

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Following the 1900 season he was seldom utilised as a bowler, having changed his bowling style to become a lob bowler.[11] Hill toured Argentina with the Marylebone Cricket Club in February–March 1912,[11] making three first-class appearances against the Argentine cricket team.[3] He played once for Hampshire against Cambridge University in 1912, whilst in 1913 he made two appearances, playing against Derbyshire in the County Championship, and Oxford University.[3]

War service and post-war cricket

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Hill served in the First World War as a volunteer with the Hampshire Volunteer Regiment (Territorial Force), being commissioned as a temporary second lieutenant in September 1916,[25] with him being appointed a temporary lieutenant in December 1917.[26] He returned to play for Hampshire following the end of the war in November 1918. He played three times for Hampshire in 1919, making two County Championship appearances, in addition to playing against the Australian Imperial Forces.[3] He followed that up with three further appearances in the 1920 County Championship, before making a final appearance in the 1921 County Championship against Gloucestershire;[3] during the 1921 season, he had the unusual occurrence of being a member of the Hampshire playing staff alongside his son, Anthony.[11] Described by Wisden as being "a splendid batsman with a free, natural approach to the game",[12] he made 161 appearances in first-class cricket for Hampshire. In these, he scored 8,381 runs at an average of 30.58; he made seventeen centuries and 38 half centuries.[27]

Other sports

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Hill played rugby union for the Trojans Rugby Club and Hampshire,[11] succeeding former Hampshire captain Charles Robson as captain of the Trojans Rugby Club in 1910.[28] Alongside playing rugby union, he also represented Hampshire in field hockey. He continued to play racquets into adulthood, and was noted to be a good boxer.[11][12]

Death

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Hill died in Romsey in September 1950.[12] His nephew, Richard Page, was also a first-class cricketer.

References

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  1. ^ Marlborough College Register from 1843 to 1904 (5 ed.). H. Hart. 1905. p. 401.
  2. ^ a b Venn, John (1944). Alumni Cantabrigienses. Vol. 3. Cambridge University Press. p. 368.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "First-Class Matches played by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  4. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  5. ^ "First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  6. ^ "India v Lord Hawke's XI, Lord Hawke's XI in Ceylon and India 1892/93". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  7. ^ Mukherjee, Abhishek (30 May 2016). "Early cricket hundreds on Indian soil, 1859 to 1902". www.cricketcountry.com. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d e "First-Class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d e "First-Class Bowling in Each Season by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Parsees v Lord Hawke's XI, Lord Hawke's XI in Ceylon and India 1892/93". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g The Cricketer (1950).
  12. ^ a b c d e "Wisden – Arthur Hill". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Notes on pastimes". Hampshire Advertiser. Southampton. 12 October 1895. p. 8. Retrieved 26 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ "Topics of the hour". Southern Echo. Southampton. 24 January 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 26 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Test Matches played by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  16. ^ "South Africa v England, Lord Hawke's XI in South Africa 1895/96 (1st Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  17. ^ "South Africa v England, Lord Hawke's XI in South Africa 1895/96 (2nd Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  18. ^ "South Africa v England, Lord Hawke's XI in South Africa 1895/96 (3rd Test)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  19. ^ "Test Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Test Bowling For Each Team by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  21. ^ Frindall, Bill (1989). England Test Cricketers. London: Willow. p. 210. ISBN 9780002183390.
  22. ^ "The personnel of the team". Southern Echo. Southampton. 11 April 1896. p. 2. Retrieved 26 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ^ "First-Class Bowling Against Each Opponent Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
  24. ^ "Warwickshire v Hampshire, County Championship 1899". CricketArchive. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  25. ^ "No. 29784". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 October 1916. p. 9930.
  26. ^ "No. 30468". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 January 1918. p. 697.
  27. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Engagements". Cricket. London. 21 April 1910. p. 9. Retrieved 17 April 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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