Gus Kelly
Encyclopedia
Gustavus William Francis Blake "Gus" Kelly (2 April 1877 in Dublin, Ireland
– 16 August 1951 in County Roscommon
, Ireland
) was an Irish cricketer
. A right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast
bowler, he played 18 times for the Ireland cricket team between 1895 and 1914 including nine first-class
matches. He also played first-class cricket
for Oxford University
and the MCC
.
in August 1895. He played twice more for Ireland that month, including a match against the MCC at Lord's
, but it would be six years before he again featured in high-level cricket.
He made his first-class debut playing for Oxford University against Surrey in May 1901. He played for the university against Somerset
the following month, before returning to the Ireland side to play against South Africa. He played four more first-class matches for Oxford University that year, gaining his blue
when he played against Cambridge University
in July.
He played ten first-class matches for Oxford University in 1902, including a matches against his native Ireland and the touring Australian team, and returned to the Ireland team for a match against London County
in June 1903. He played three more times for Ireland before he made his first-class debut for them against Yorkshire
in May 1907. He also played for Ireland against South Africa that year.
His appearances for Ireland were sporadic over the rest of his career, playing against Philadelphia
(twice) and Yorkshire in 1908, against Scotland in 1910 and 1911 before he played a first-class match for the MCC against Oxford University in June 1912. He played for Ireland against South Africa that year, and played twice more against Scotland before his career came to an end in July 1914.
at an average of 8.87 with a top score of 30 against South Africa in June 1901. He took 41 wickets at an average
of 17.12, with a best innings bowling performance of 5/42 against Scotland in July 1910, the only time he took five wickets in an innings for Ireland.
was a splendid opening bat for Dublin University, Phoenix and Ireland. Two of their sons, Acheson
and Gustavus
, both played for Ireland.
He served as High Sheriff of Roscommon
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
– 16 August 1951 in County Roscommon
County Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
) was an Irish cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
. A right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast
Fast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
bowler, he played 18 times for the Ireland cricket team between 1895 and 1914 including nine first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches. He also played first-class cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
.
Early life
Born in Dublin, he first attended Clongowes Wood College, then a centre of excellence for cricket before boarding at the Oratory School, near Reading, Berkshire where he was a key member of the Oratory XI. He lastly spent a short time at Stonyhurst College, Lancashire.Playing career
Kelly made his debut for Ireland against SurreySurrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
in August 1895. He played twice more for Ireland that month, including a match against the MCC at Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, but it would be six years before he again featured in high-level cricket.
He made his first-class debut playing for Oxford University against Surrey in May 1901. He played for the university against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
the following month, before returning to the Ireland side to play against South Africa. He played four more first-class matches for Oxford University that year, gaining his blue
University Sporting Blue
A Blue is an award earned by sportsmen and women at a university and some schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of Blues began at Oxford and Cambridge Universities...
when he played against Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
in July.
He played ten first-class matches for Oxford University in 1902, including a matches against his native Ireland and the touring Australian team, and returned to the Ireland team for a match against London County
London County Cricket Club
London County Cricket Club was a short-lived cricket club founded by the Crystal Palace Company. In 1898 they invited WG Grace to help them form a first-class cricket club. Grace accepted the offer and became the club's secretary, manager and captain. As a result, he severed his connection with...
in June 1903. He played three more times for Ireland before he made his first-class debut for them against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
in May 1907. He also played for Ireland against South Africa that year.
His appearances for Ireland were sporadic over the rest of his career, playing against Philadelphia
Philadelphian cricket team
The Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia in first-class cricket between 1878 and 1913. Even with the United States having played the first ever international cricket match against Canada in 1844, the sport began a slow decline in the country. This decline was...
(twice) and Yorkshire in 1908, against Scotland in 1910 and 1911 before he played a first-class match for the MCC against Oxford University in June 1912. He played for Ireland against South Africa that year, and played twice more against Scotland before his career came to an end in July 1914.
Statistics
In all matches for Ireland, Kelly scored 204 runsRun (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a run is the basic unit of scoring. Runs are scored by a batsman, and the aggregate of the scores of a team's batsmen constitutes the team's score. A batsman scoring 50 or 100 runs , or any higher multiple of 50 runs, is considered a particular achievement...
at an average of 8.87 with a top score of 30 against South Africa in June 1901. He took 41 wickets at an average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 17.12, with a best innings bowling performance of 5/42 against Scotland in July 1910, the only time he took five wickets in an innings for Ireland.
Personal life
In 1900, he married Eily Mary Comyn, whose brother Dan ComynDan Comyn
Andrew Daniel "Dan" Comyn was an Irish cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a leg-break bowler....
was a splendid opening bat for Dublin University, Phoenix and Ireland. Two of their sons, Acheson
Achey Kelly
Acheson William Blake "Achey" Kelly was an Irish cricketer. A right-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler, he played twice for the Ireland cricket team in the 1920s including one first-class match...
and Gustavus
Gustavus Kelly
Gustavus Noel Blake Kelly was an Irish cricketer. A right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler, he played six times for the Ireland cricket team between 1922 and 1926, including four first-class matches...
, both played for Ireland.
He served as High Sheriff of Roscommon
High Sheriff of Roscommon
The High Sheriff of Roscommon was the British Crown’s judicial representative in County Roscommon, Ireland from 1575 until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Roscommon County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and...