Harry Calder
Encyclopedia
Harry Lawton Calder, born 24 January 1901, in South Africa
and died at Cape Town
on 15 September 1995, was perhaps the most unlikely cricketer
ever to be named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year, one of the game's top honours.
Calder was a 16-year-old spin bowler who took a lot of wickets in 1917 for Cranleigh School
, and was named as a Cricketer of the Year in the 1918 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
alongside four other schoolboy cricketers, there being no first-class cricket
during the First World War. Indeed, he never appeared in a first-class game, although he did play for the Surrey
Second XI in 1920, scoring 0 and 6 not out
and bowling four wicketless overs for 21 against Staffordshire
.
Calder went back to South Africa with his family, and was not tracked down until 1994, the year before his death, when the cricket historian Robert Brooke
traced him to a nursing home in Cape Town. Calder said he had not known of the honour and had not played cricket since school, more than three-quarters of a century earlier.
In all, 10 schoolboy cricketers were chosen by Wisden in 1918 and 1919: all except Calder played at least one first-class game.
His father, Henry Calder
, did have a brief first-class career, playing ten matches for Hampshire
, Western Province
and Eastern Province
in the late 19th century.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and died at Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on 15 September 1995, was perhaps the most unlikely 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"....
ever to be named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year, one of the game's top honours.
Calder was a 16-year-old spin bowler who took a lot of wickets in 1917 for Cranleigh School
Cranleigh School
Cranleigh School is an independent English boarding school in the village of Cranleigh, Surrey. It was founded in 1865 as a boys' school and started to admit girls in the early 1970s. It is now co-educational. The current headmaster is Guy de W...
, and was named as a Cricketer of the Year in the 1918 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
alongside four other schoolboy cricketers, there being no first-class cricket
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...
during the First World War. Indeed, he never appeared in a first-class game, although he did play for the Surrey
Surrey 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...
Second XI in 1920, scoring 0 and 6 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
and bowling four wicketless overs for 21 against Staffordshire
Staffordshire County Cricket Club
Staffordshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Staffordshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
.
Calder went back to South Africa with his family, and was not tracked down until 1994, the year before his death, when the cricket historian Robert Brooke
Robert Brooke (statistician)
Robert W Brooke is an English cricket writer who has published over 20 books about the game, including those in the bibliography below.He is a longtime Warwickshire CCC member who has been the club's honorary librarian for many years...
traced him to a nursing home in Cape Town. Calder said he had not known of the honour and had not played cricket since school, more than three-quarters of a century earlier.
In all, 10 schoolboy cricketers were chosen by Wisden in 1918 and 1919: all except Calder played at least one first-class game.
His father, Henry Calder
Henry Calder
Henry Calder was an English cricketer. Calder was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm slow.Calder made his first-class debut for Hampshire County Cricket Club in 1882 against Sussex. Calder next represented Hampshire in the 1885 season, which was the clubs last season with first-class...
, did have a brief first-class career, playing ten matches for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
, Western Province
Western Province cricket team
Western Province cricket team is the team representing Western Cape province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa. The team began playing in January 1890 and its main venue has always been Newlands in Cape Town.-Honours:...
and Eastern Province
Eastern Province cricket team
Eastern Province cricket team is the team representing the Eastern Province in domestic first-class cricket in South Africa.-Honours:* Currie Cup - 1988–89, 1991–92; shared - 1989–90* Standard Bank Cup - 1989–90, 1991–92...
in the late 19th century.