Syd Hiddleston

John Sydney Hiddleston (10 December 1890 – 30 October 1940) was a cricketer who played for Otago, Wellington and New Zealand, from 1909-10 to 1928-29, in the years before New Zealand played Test cricket.

Syd Hiddleston
Personal information
Full nameJohn Sydney Hiddleston
Born(1890-12-10)10 December 1890
Invercargill, New Zealand
Died30 October 1940(1940-10-30) (aged 49)
Wellington, New Zealand
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium-pace, right-arm leg-spin
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 52
Runs scored 3814
Batting average 39.72
100s/50s 8/20
Top score 212
Balls bowled 3663
Wickets 86
Bowling average 26.88
5 wickets in innings 3
10 wickets in match 1
Best bowling 8/59
Catches/stumpings 55/0
Source: Cricket Archive, 11 May 2014

Cricket career

An all-rounder who could bat at any position in the order and bowled medium pace and leg-spin, Hiddleston played three matches for Otago in 1909-10 before moving to Wellington, for whom he played his first first-class game in 1913-14. In his second game for Wellington he opened the batting in the first innings with Clarrie Grimmett; Hiddleston made 64 of their opening partnership of 78.[1]

He played for New Zealand in the two international matches against Australia in 1921, one match against the MCC in 1922-23, two matches against the touring New South Wales team in 1923-24, and another two against Victoria in 1924-25. However, his performances in these matches were moderate: 270 runs at 19.28[2] and only one wicket.[3]

His best performances came in the Plunket Shield. In the three-match competition in 1923-24 he scored 163, 46, 94, 34, 18 and 150, becoming the first player to hit 500 runs in a season. He broke the record again in 1925-26, scoring 212 (against Canterbury; his highest score), 73, 14, 34 and 204; his 537 runs in a season remained the record for more than 20 years.[4] Wellington won the Shield in both of his record-breaking seasons.

He scored his 212 against Canterbury in 260 minutes.[5] He opened the batting on the first day, was 103 not out at lunch, and was fourth out not long after tea with the score at 343, on a day in which Wellington scored 494 for 9 wickets off 94 eight-ball overs. So he is likely to have scored at a little under a run a ball.[6][7] His 204 a few weeks later was probably a little slower, but no less impressive: he came to the wicket at 18 for 1, reached his double-century in 262 minutes, and was last out in a team total of 374 off 85.1 overs.[8][9]

His best bowling performances came in two consecutive matches, both against Canterbury in 1918-19, when he took 8 for 59 (on Christmas Day) and 2 for 82[10] then 5 for 75 and 2 for 78 when the two sides met again the next month[11] for bowling figures in the two matches of 95.1-10-294-17.

He won the Redpath Cup for batsman of the season in 1921-22 and 1923-24.[12] Dick Brittenden said, "He was a thoughtful batsman, conscious of the problems of his trade; it was simply that he seemed able to resolve them more swiftly and efficiently than anyone else."[13]

Hiddleston was one of the 11 players chosen in 1936 by the New Zealand cricket historian Tom Reese as the best New Zealand team of all time.[14] When Tom Lowry was president of the New Zealand Cricket Council he made a speech in 1952 in which he declared that Hiddleston was one of New Zealand's "five greatest cricketers", along with Dan Reese, Martin Donnelly, Bert Sutcliffe and Jack Cowie.[15]

Personal life

He worked as an indent agent in soft goods. His business commitments sometimes curtailed his cricket, preventing his participation in New Zealand's tours to Australia in 1925-26 and England in 1927.

He and his wife Rosina had one daughter. He died after a hernia operation.[16]

See also

References
  1. Otago v Wellington, 1913-14
  2. JS Hiddleston batting for teams
  3. JS Hiddleston bowling for teams
  4. R.T. Brittenden, New Zealand Cricketers, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1961, p. 86.
  5. The Cricketer, 1 May 1926, p. 27.
  6. Wellington v Canterbury 1925-26
  7. Evening Post, 2 January 1926, p. 3.
  8. Wellington v Auckland 1925-26
  9. Evening Post, 23 February 1926, p. 2.
  10. Canterbury v Wellington, 1918-19
  11. Wellington v Canterbury, 1918-19
  12. Redpath Cup
  13. Brittenden, New Zealand Cricketers, p. 85.
  14. "The Best N.Z. Eleven". Press: 17. 3 April 1937.
  15. Don Neely & Richard Payne, Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985, Moa, Auckland, 1986, p. 212.
  16. New Zealand Herald, 31 October 1940, p. 11.
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