Syd Hiddleston
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | John Sydney Hiddleston | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 10 December 1890 Invercargill, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 30 October 1940 (aged 49) Wellington, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium-pace, right-arm leg-spin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricket Archive, 11 May 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Sydney Hiddleston (10 December 1890 – 30 October 1940) was a cricketer who played for Otago, Wellington and New Zealand, from 1909-10 to 1928-29, in the years before New Zealand played Test cricket.
Cricket career
An all-rounder who could bat at any position in the order and bowled medium pace and leg-spin, Hiddleston played three matches for Otago in 1909-10 before moving to Wellington, for whom he played his first first-class game in 1913-14. In his second game for Wellington he opened the batting in the first innings with Clarrie Grimmett; Hiddleston made 64 of their opening partnership of 78.[1]
He played for New Zealand in the two international matches against Australia in 1921, one match against the MCC in 1922-23, two matches against the touring New South Wales team in 1923-24, and another two against Victoria in 1924-25. However, his performances in these matches were moderate: 270 runs at 19.28[2] and only one wicket.[3]
His best performances came in the Plunket Shield. In the three-match competition in 1923-24 he scored 163, 46, 94, 34, 18 and 150, becoming the first player to hit 500 runs in a season. He broke the record again in 1925-26, scoring 212 (against Canterbury; his highest score), 73, 14, 34 and 204; his 537 runs in a season remained the record for more than 20 years.[4] Wellington won the Shield in both of his record-breaking seasons.
He scored his 212 against Canterbury in 260 minutes.[5] He opened the batting on the first day, was 103 not out at lunch, and was fourth out not long after tea with the score at 343, on a day in which Wellington scored 494 for 9 wickets off 94 eight-ball overs. So he is likely to have scored at a little under a run a ball.[6][7] His 204 a few weeks later was probably a little slower, but no less impressive: he came to the wicket at 18 for 1, reached his double-century in 262 minutes, and was last out in a team total of 374 off 85.1 overs.[8][9]
His best bowling performances came in two consecutive matches, both against Canterbury in 1918-19, when he took 8 for 59 (on Christmas Day) and 2 for 82[10] then 5 for 75 and 2 for 78 when the two sides met again the next month[11] for bowling figures in the two matches of 95.1-10-294-17.
He won the Redpath Cup for batsman of the season in 1921-22 and 1923-24.[12] Dick Brittenden said, "He was a thoughtful batsman, conscious of the problems of his trade; it was simply that he seemed able to resolve them more swiftly and efficiently than anyone else."[13]
Hiddleston was one of the 11 players chosen in 1936 by the New Zealand cricket historian Tom Reese as the best New Zealand team of all time.[14] When Tom Lowry was president of the New Zealand Cricket Council he made a speech in 1952 in which he declared that Hiddleston was one of New Zealand's "five greatest cricketers", along with Dan Reese, Martin Donnelly, Bert Sutcliffe and Jack Cowie.[15]
Personal life
He worked as an indent agent in soft goods. His business commitments sometimes curtailed his cricket, preventing his participation in New Zealand's tours to Australia in 1925-26 and England in 1927.
He and his wife Rosina had one daughter. He died after a hernia operation.[16]
See also
References
- ^ Otago v Wellington, 1913-14
- ^ JS Hiddleston batting for teams
- ^ JS Hiddleston bowling for teams
- ^ R.T. Brittenden, New Zealand Cricketers, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1961, p. 86.
- ^ The Cricketer, 1 May 1926, p. 27.
- ^ Wellington v Canterbury 1925-26
- ^ Evening Post, 2 January 1926, p. 3.
- ^ Wellington v Auckland 1925-26
- ^ Evening Post, 23 February 1926, p. 2.
- ^ Canterbury v Wellington, 1918-19
- ^ Wellington v Canterbury, 1918-19
- ^ Redpath Cup
- ^ Brittenden, New Zealand Cricketers, p. 85.
- ^ "The Best N.Z. Eleven". Press: 17. 3 April 1937.
- ^ Don Neely & Richard Payne, Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985, Moa, Auckland, 1986, p. 212.
- ^ The New Zealand Herald, 31 October 1940, p. 11.
External links
- Syd Hiddleston at ESPNcricinfo
- Syd Hiddleston at CricketArchive (subscription required)