Bart King - The Greatest fast bowler?

[quytst0rm]

Ok i know most of you here have no idea about who he is http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/PLAYERS/ICC/USA/KING_JB_11006373/
http://www.haverford.edu/library/cricket/site_update/famous_King.htm
But if he'd given more exposure at test level he would have been great. What do you guys think?

 

[cbuts]

obviusly to hard to tell how good he was, shame america didnt really play cricket - if he had of played a number of test matches who knows. in my opinion hadlee is the best bowler of all time

 

[luckyeddie]

I think that it's a quite magnificent record by any standards - as you say, a shame he didn't get more exposure at international level.

It's interesting to note that cricket thrived in areas of the US at the start of the last century, and that WWI seemed to put an end to it.

I wonder where US cricket would have been now if the fates had not intervened?

 

[Craig]

Actually I would say Malcolm Marshall.

 

[Craig]

I think that it's a quite magnificent record by any standards - as you say, a shame he didn't get more exposure at international level.

It's interesting to note that cricket thrived in areas of the US at the start of the last century, and that WWI seemed to put an end to it.

I wonder where US cricket would have been now if the fates had not intervened?

Blame Germany, Japan etc.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Possible urban legend about King - playing a game around the turn of the century (obviously).

An opposing batsman boasted about how he would hit King all over the ground.. so when he came into bat, King dismissed the rest of his fielders bar fine leg.. "I'll deal with this one myself".

"Oh", said the batsman, "why are you keeping fine leg?"

"So he can catch the ball after it's bowled you"

Sure enough, his wicked inswinging yorker delivered with a baseball-style round arm action castled the batsman and the ball looped off into the hands of fine leg.

No idea if it's true or not...

 

[Neil Pickup]

Blame Germany, Japan etc.

Note the I, not the II. Japan fought against the Central Powers (?) in the first war. Germany, Turkey and Austria-Hungary was the problem..

Still, I don't see that having that much effect on cricket.

 

[luckyeddie]

Still, I don't see that having that much effect on cricket.

I've read many articles about cricket at the start of the 20th century - and many of them indicate that there was a thriving cricket community in certain areas of the USA.

It all seemed to peter out around 1916-1917.

Just putting 2 and 2 together.

 

[hourn]

completely impossible to tell anthing about the guy other than the fact he has a magnificent FC record in competitions which we know nothing about.

 

[Richard]

As did plenty of bowlers around that time.

 

[Prince EWS]

US actually played the first international cricket match. It was against Canada.

And regarding King, why didnt he just mive somewher else so he could play test cricket???

 

[Craig]

That's probably a pretty valid question.

 

[krkode]

US actually played the first international cricket match. It was against Canada.

And regarding King, why didnt he just mive somewher else so he could play test cricket???

I believe the first was against England...and the USA won at that! :wow:

 

[Prince EWS]

Im positive it was against Canada. I actually won a prize at school for answering it.

 

[quytst0rm]

I am quite postive its Canada. Bart King toured England and played in first class matches and took 87 wickets @ 11.08 in 1903 at the age of 35. I believe the average was an English Cricket record and stood for some decades so that tells a lot about this guy and the talent he had. And about him not moving to some other country so he can have greater opportunities nobody can answer that question except himself. But from what i heard and read this guy was the real deal too bad he didn't get a chance to prove this to the world.

 

[quytst0rm]

And here's the link that proves that it was indeed Canada http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/NATIONAL/ICC_MEMBERS/USA/USA_HISTORY.html

 

[Richard]

USA v. Canada was definately the first international cricket match, but USA did play some games (after the Canada match) against England. Never, however, did an English XI play against an American XI.
There is a reason the 1st Test was the 1st Test. It was the first time two international teams of eleven players had played each other. Matches where teams have more or less than 11 players cannot be First-Class.

 

[Craig]

Got a link to the scorecard?

 

[quytst0rm]

Here is the link for the scorecard http://usa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1840S/1844/OTHERS/USA_CAN_24-25SEP1844.html