Billy Zulch Explained

Billy Zulch
Batting:Right-handed
Bowling:Right-arm medium
Columns:2
Column1:Test
Matches1:16
Runs1:985
Bat Avg1:32.83
100S/50S1:2/4
Top Score1:150
Deliveries1:24
Wickets1:0
Bowl Avg1:
Fivefor1:
Tenfor1:
Best Bowling1:
Catches/Stumpings1:4/–
Column2:First-class
Matches2:53
Runs2:3,556
Bat Avg2:41.83
100S/50S2:9/17
Top Score2:185
Deliveries2:210
Wickets2:5
Bowl Avg2:24.40
Fivefor2:0
Tenfor2:0
Best Bowling2:3/28
Catches/Stumpings2:19/–
International:true
Country:South Africa
Testdebutagainst:England
Testdebutdate:1 January
Testdebutyear:1910
Lasttestdate:26 November
Lasttestagainst:Australia
Lasttestyear:1921
Source:https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/325/325.html CricketArchive
Date:13 November
Year:2022

Johan Wilhelm Zulch (2 January 1886 – 19 May 1924) was a South African international cricketer who played 16 Test matches for South Africa between 1910 and 1921.

Zulch was born in Lydenburg, Transvaal. His cricket career was interrupted by World War I, but he still managed 985 Test runs at an average of 32.83, with two Test centuries — both against Australia on his first overseas tour in 1910 - 11.

His 105 came in the only Test South Africa won on that tour. Zulch batted for three hours, and a hundred from Tip Snooke then boosted South Africa to 482; and, despite 214 from Australian batsman Victor Trumper, and a relative failure from Zulch with 14 in the second innings, South Africa went on to win by 38 runs.

In the 2nd Test (1921) against Australia at Old Wanderers in Johannesburg, Australian fast bowler Ted McDonald dismissed Zulch by breaking his bat so that fragments flew back to dislodge a bail, and the Zulch was given out, "hit wicket".[1] [2]

He died in 1924, in Umkomaas, Natal, following a nervous breakdown.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1920S/1921-22/AUS_IN_RSA/AUS_RSA_T2_12-16NOV1921.html 2nd TEST: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, 12-16 Nov 1921
  2. The MCC have clarified this situation though, and in fact nowadays a batsman should not be given out if a splinter, or part of his bat, breaks the wicket, as it must be his whole bat that breaks the wicket. Web site: Archived copy . 2007-01-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20061212024456/http://www.lords.org/data/files/law_35_qanda-9683.pdf . 2006-12-12 .