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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 cricket career

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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] 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 eight-arm underarm-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 and Test cricket

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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] He 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] Making fourteen first-class appearances the following season,[3] his good bowling form carried over into the 1898 season, with Hill again taking 40 wickets at an average of 21.50.[9] His batting return improved during the season, with Hill scoring 662 runs at an average of 30.09;[8] amongst the two centuries he made that season was a score of 199 against Surrey at The Oval, which was to be the highest of his career.[12][11]

Later career and war service

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Hill succeeded former Hampshire captain Charles Robson as captain of the Trojans Rugby Club in 1910.[24]

He 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]

His son, Anthony, and nephew, Richard Page, were also first-class cricketers.

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 "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 "First-Class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Ledger Hill". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d "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 The Cricketer (1950).
  12. ^ a b "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. ^ "Engagements". Cricket. London. 21 April 1910. p. 9. Retrieved 17 April 2023 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ^ "No. 29784". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 October 1916. p. 9930.
  26. ^ "No. 30468". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 January 1918. p. 697.
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