Kenneth Cumming

Kenneth Roy Cumming (12 April 1916 – 11 October 1988) was an Australian first-class cricketer who played for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield. He was also a professional runner as well as an Australian rules footballer with Subiaco in the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL).

Ken Cumming
Cumming in 1948
Personal information
Full nameKenneth Roy Cumming
Born(1916-04-12)12 April 1916
East Coolgardie, Western Australia
Died11 October 1988(1988-10-11) (aged 72)
Perth, Western Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
RoleBowler
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1945/46–1947/48Western Australia
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 10
Runs scored 48
Batting average 4.80
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 13
Balls bowled 1,894
Wickets 23
Bowling average 28.60
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/62
Catches/stumpings 3/–
Source: CricketArchive, 25 May 2020

Cumming made his first appearance at WANFL club Subiaco in 1938, and two years later was appointed vice-captain.[1][2]

On 28 October 1940, Cumming enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy. During the war, he served aboard the Australian destroyers Nestor, Stuart, and the sloop Parramatta. Cumming was one of only 24 survivors when Parramatta was torpedoed by the German submarine U-559 in the Mediterranean; abandoning ship and later being rescued by British destroyer HMS Avon Vale.[3][4]

Cumming, who hailed from the gold mining town of Coolgardie, continued his sporting career when he returned home and began putting in some good performances in first-grade cricket for Subiaco. In a match against Nedlands, he achieved a rare feat by taking five wickets in five balls.[5] An ankle injury kept him off the football field in 1945 but by the end of the year had made it into the state cricket team, playing as a right-arm opening bowler and number 11 batsman.[6]

He made his first-class debut for Western Australia in the 1945/46 season, against the Australian Services and claimed Keith Miller as his maiden wicket.[7] In 1946 he had the greatest victory of his running career when he won the York Gift. The following summer, Cumming made two more first-class appearances, one for a Western Australia Combined XI, but both against the Marylebone Cricket Club.[8] In 1947/48, Western Australia played in the Sheffield Shield for the first time and Cumming took part in all four of their fixtures. Despite it being their first attempt, Western Australia won the Shield, with Cumming contributing 13 wickets at 23.61 during the campaign.[9] Nine of those wickets had come in the same match, against Victoria at the WACA Ground. He took a six wicket haul in the second innings, bowling four of the Victorians and having the other two caught.[10]

References
  1. The West Australian, "Subiaco's Newcomers", 22 July 1938. p. 11
  2. The West Australian, "Stack a New Captain", 26 April 1940. p. 9
  3. "WW2 Nominal Roll". Australian Government.
  4. Sydney Morning Herald, "War Record Of Cricketers", 14 October 1946. p. 9
  5. Barrier Miner, Broken Hill, "Five Balls, Five Wickets", 25 March 1944. p. 1
  6. The West Australian, "Cumming to Reappear", 29 May 1947. p. 5
  7. "Western Australia v Australian Services in 1945/46". CricketArchive.
  8. "First-Class Matches played by Kenneth Cumming (10)". CricketArchive.
  9. "Bowling for Western Australia – Sheffield Shield 1947/48". CricketArchive.
  10. "Western Australia vs Victoria in 1947/48". CricketArchive.
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