George Bonnor
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | 25 February 1855 Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 27 June 1912 (aged 57) Orange, New South Wales, Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm medium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Test debut (cap 19) | 6 September 1880 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Test | 30 August 1888 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 12 October 2022 |
George John Bonnor (25 February 1855 – 27 June 1912) was an Australian cricketer, known for his big hitting, who played Test cricket between 1880 and 1888.[1]
Career
Bonnor was born in Bathurst, New South Wales, and made his international debut in the first match played in England in 1880. Being very tall for the 19th century at 6 foot 6 inches he was also exceedingly strong and made the most of it with some powerful hitting, however at times his cavalier attitude led to some periods of poor scores as well.
Two anecdotes testify to his enormous strength. First, during the
On the next tour, in 1882, Bonnor made a £100 wager with a disbelieving fellow passenger on the SS Assam that he could, with his throw after stepping off the ship, send a cricket ball 100 yards: he won the wager by throwing the ball 119 yards and seven inches, done without a run up.
Measured hits of his in practice included ones at Melbourne of 160 and 149 yards, and one of 147 at Mitcham Common in May 1880, which was carefully measured by the famed bowler James Southerton. Bonnor also reached 160 yards in actual play when, at Longsight in 1880, the Australians played the local XVIII and he sent Grace's cousin, W.R. Gilbert, a long way.
In 1884, George Bonnor became the first player in Test cricket as well as international cricket history, to be dismissed hit wicket.[2]
Bonnor died of a heart attack, aged 57, in Orange, New South Wales, and is buried at the cemetery there.
References
- ^ "George Bonnor". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
- ^ "Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo". Cricinfo. Retrieved 3 March 2017.