George Lohmann
George Alfred Lohmann
Born: 2 June 1865, Campden Hill, Kensington, London
Died: 1 December 1901, Worcester, Cape Province, South Africa
Major Teams: Surrey, Western Province, England.
Known As: George Lohmann
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium Fast
Test Debut: England v Australia at Manchester, 1st Test, 1886
Last Test: England v Australia at Lord's, 1st Test, 1896
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1889
Career Statistics:
TESTS
(career)
M I NO Runs
HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 18 26
2 213 62* 8.87
0 1 28 0
Balls M R
W Ave BBI 5
10 SR Econ
Bowling
3830 364 1205 112 10.75
9-28 9 5 34.1 1.88
FIRST-CLASS
(career: 1884 - 1896/97)
M I NO Runs
HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 293 427 39 7247
115 18.67 3 29 337 0
Balls R W
Ave BBI 5 10
SR Econ
Bowling
71724 25295 1841 13.73 9-28 176 57
38.9 2.11
- Explanations of First-Class and List A status courtesy of the ACS.
StatsGuru Filters for George Lohmann
* Test Player
Profile:
A master of the high art of bowling, George Lohmann's Test record
stands alone, 112 wickets in 18 Tests at an average of 10.75 - an
exceptional achievement, even considering he bowled on the poorly
prepared and uncovered wickets of the time. On the matting in South
Africa he was even better, destroying the South African batting with 35
wickets in three Tests at just over 5 apiece.
He bowled medium to slow medium with a high action, and with varied and
deceptive flight. He could bowl a leg break, but mostly moved the ball
into the batsman. Disdaining the off-theory espoused by many other
bowlers at the time, he always attacked the stumps, and his strength
was in his accuracy and variation. Unfailingly accurate, he changed
pace and flight with no discernable change of action, and often took
wickets with a ball that did not spin at all, decieiving batsmen
playing for the break. Both WG Grace and CB Fry stated he was the
finest medium paced bowler they ever saw - and between them they played
cricket over six decades.
He was also an excellent lower order bat (with three first-class
centuries), as with his bowling never failing to attack, and was one of
the first specialist slip fielders, a position at which he excelled.
He was given a trial by Surrey in 1884 at the age of 18, and by next
season was one of the leading bowlers in England, taking over 150
wickets. By 1888 he was taking 200 wickets a season, a feat he repeated
the following two years. A handsome man - tall, blond and blue-eyed -
his career was relatively brief, as after 6 years at the peak of his
career his health failed him, as he was diagnosed with tuberculosis. A
hard and tireless worker he had bowled a phenomenal amount over the
preceding period, taking part in two Australian tours as well as the
demanding schedule of the English season. He was sent to South Africa
to recuperate, and after trying his health with Western Province in the
Currie Cup, two years later returned to play two more seasons with
Surrey. His final tour was in 1895-96 to South Africa, but after the
1896 season, apparently following a dispute with Surrey over his fee
for the Oval Test, and with his health failing him again, he moved to
South Africa permanently.
He returned to England as manager of the 1901 South African team, but
sadly died shortly after his return to South Africa. He was just 36.
Quotes
PF Warner "He was a great cricketer who loved the game with all his
soul, and to hear him talk on cricket was well worthwhile"
HS Altham "His whole heart was in the game, which indeed, he loved not
wisely but too well, crowding into thirteen years more work than even
his magnificent physique could stand"
[Dl, 2000]
* Last Updated: Monday, 29-Jul-2002 14:39:52 GMT
Changed; 14/09/09, 12/08/09