James Aitchison (cricketer)

James Aitchison (26 May 1920 – 13 February 1994) was a Scottish minister in the Church of Scotland and a first-class cricketer.

James Aitchison

Personal information
Full name	James Aitchison
Born	26 May 1920 Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
Died	13 February 1994 (aged 73) Glasgow
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1946–1963	Scotland
Career statistics
Competition First class Matches 50 Runs scored 2,786 Batting average 32.77 100s/50s 5/13 Top score 190* Balls bowled 18 Wickets 0 Bowling average – 5 wickets in innings – 10 wickets in match – Best bowling – Catches/stumpings 22/–
Source: CricInfo, 19 March 2017

Career

Only two other players have appeared more times in first class cricket for Scotland, and Aitchison holds the team's record for most career runs and highest individual score.[1] In the match against Ireland in 1959 he batted throughout the first day to make 190 not out.[2] In club cricket for Kilmarnock he made 18,344 runs with 56 centuries.

Aitchison served as a minister in the Church of Scotland for 34 years until his retirement in 1986.[3] During his career he took on a divinity student to help her learn whilst he was minister of Broomhill in Glasgow. The Reverend Euphemia Irvine was to be the first woman to lead a parish in Scotland.[4] In 2011 he was one of the twelve initial inductees into the Scottish Cricket Hall of Fame.[5]

References

1. Scotland first-class cricket statistics
2. Ireland v Scotland 1959
3. Wisden 1995, p. 1378.
4. "Obituary - Effie Irvine, pioneering minister and the first woman to be ordained and inducted to a Church of Scotland parish". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
5. Scottish cricket launches Hall of Fame

External links

James Aitchison at ESPNcricinfo