John McMullan (cricketer) explained

John McMullan
Country:New Zealand
Fullname:John James Morrell McMullan
Birth Date:23 April 1893
Birth Place:Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
Death Place:Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand
Batting:Left-handed
Role:Occasional wicket-keeper
Club1:Otago
Columns:1
Column1:First-class
Matches1:32
Runs1:1,718
Bat Avg1:30.14
100S/50S1:3/9
Top Score1:157
Deliveries1:16
Wickets1:0
Bowl Avg1:
Fivefor1:
Tenfor1:
Best Bowling1:
Catches/Stumpings1:14/3
Date:1 April
Year:2017
Source:http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/37898.html ESPNCricinfo

John James Morrell McMullan (23 April 1893 – 28 April 1967) was a New Zealand cricketer and teacher. He played 32 first-class matches for Otago between the 1917–18 and 1929–30 seasons and later became a selector for the New Zealand national cricket team.

Life and career

Mcullan was born at Dunedin in 1893.[1] A left-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper,[2] he made his first-class debut against Southland in 1917–18. Batting at number four, he made 157 not out, part of a team total of 313 runs.[3] Otago won by an innings.[4] In his next first-class match, against Wellington two seasons later, he made 85 not out and 25 runs in his two innings.[5] He thus scored 267 runs in his first-class career before being dismissed, setting a world first-class record which was not broken until 1946, when Sam Loxton scored 305 runs before being dismissed.[6]

The rest of his career was steady, and included two more centuries, both in the Plunket Shield: 111 against Wellington in 1923–24 (one of seven centuries in the match)[7] and 131 (after 51 in the first innings) against Auckland in 1927–28.[8] In 1923 the Otago Daily Times described him thus: "Left-hand bat of the 'rock' order. Has to be dug out; also a fine field."[9] In the 1930s he served on the selection panel for the Otago team;[10] during the Second World War he was the sole selector.[11] He also coached young players in Dunedin[12] and was a selector for the New Zealand national side.[1]

McMullan was awarded a BA in History by New Zealand University in 1920.[13] He was headmaster of the Tainui School in Dunedin until 1945, when he became headmaster of George Street School, also in Dunedin.[14] He died at Dunedin in 1967 at the age of 74.[15] An obituary was published in the New Zealand Cricket Almanack later in the year.[1]

Notes and References

  1. McCarron A (2010) New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010, p. 87. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 5 June 2023.)
  2. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22463/22463.html John McMullan
  3. News: Southland Times . 18 March 1918 . 3 . Otago v. Southland . 17197.
  4. Web site: Otago v Southland 1917–18. CricketArchive. 1 April 2017.
  5. Web site: Otago v Wellington 1919–20. CricketArchive. 1 April 2017.
  6. Web site: As he meant to go on. Deep, Backward and Square. 1 April 2017.
  7. Web site: Otago v Wellington 1923–24. CricketArchive. 1 April 2017.
  8. Web site: Auckland v Otago 1927–28. CricketArchive. 1 April 2017.
  9. Auckland v. Otago Match . Otago Daily Times . 5 January 1923 . 7 .
  10. Cricket: Otago Association . Otago Daily Times . 4 October 1939 . 13 .
  11. Otago Cricket Team. Otago Daily Times . 30 January 1941 . 4 .
  12. Cricket: 'A Retrograde Step' . Otago Daily Times . 15 November 1939 . 8 .
  13. New Zealand University . Otago Daily Times . 11 May 1920 . 6 .
  14. Personal . Evening Star . 7 September 1945 . 4 .
  15. https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/john-mcmullan-37898 John McMullan