| John McIlwraith | |
| Fullname: | John McIlwraith |
| Birth Date: | 1857 9, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Collingwood, Melbourne, Colony of Victoria |
| Death Place: | Camberwell, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Columns: | 2 |
| Column1: | Test |
| Matches1: | 1 |
| Runs1: | 9 |
| Bat Avg1: | 4.50 |
| 100S/50S1: | 0/0 |
| Top Score1: | 7 |
| Hidedeliveries: | true |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 1/– |
| Column2: | First-class |
| Matches2: | 44 |
| Runs2: | 1468 |
| Bat Avg2: | 24.06 |
| 100S/50S2: | 2/6 |
| Top Score2: | 133 |
| Catches/Stumpings2: | 24/– |
| International: | true |
| Country: | Australia |
| Testdebutagainst: | England |
| Testdebutdate: | 12 August |
| Testdebutyear: | 1886 |
| Testcap: | 43 |
| Onetest: | true |
| Source: | http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/6570.html Cricinfo |
| Date: | 28 April 2019 |
John McIlwraith (7 September 1857 – 5 July 1938) was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1886.[1]
Jack McIlwraith was the son of John McIlwraith, the co-founder of the McIlwraith McEacharn shipping company and Mayor of Melbourne in 1873–74,[2] and the nephew of Thomas McIlwraith, who was several times Premier of Queensland. Jack was educated at Scotch College, Melbourne.[3] He worked with McIlwraith McEacharn, managing the Melbourne office while still in his twenties, and later became a director.[4] [3] He was also involved with the company's lead-manufacturing concern.
McIlwraith played for Melbourne Cricket Club, scoring more than 1500 runs in the 1883–84 season.[5] He was selected to play for Victoria in 1884–85.[3] He was the outstanding batsman in the short Australian first-class season in 1885–86, scoring 315 runs at an average of 78.75, with two centuries; only one other batsman scored a century, and the next most successful batsman made 201 runs.[6] He made his highest first-class score of 133 in the first match of the season, an innings victory for Victoria over New South Wales.[7]
He toured England in 1886 with the Australian team, but was only moderately successful in a team that lost all three Tests. He was handicapped on English pitches by the lack of a sound defence, and made only 520 runs at an average of 16.25.[8] He improved towards the end of the tour and played in the Third Test, but scored only 2 and 7 in an innings defeat.[3] [9] He continued playing for Victoria until 1889, when he retired to concentrate on the family business.[8]
McIlwraith was also a leading Australian rules footballer for Melbourne in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) during the 1880s.[10]
McIlwraith married Florence Edith Osborn in June 1885.[11] When he died on 5 July 1938 he left no family, his wife and only daughter having pre-deceased him.[12]