Albert Henry (cricketer) facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Albert Henry
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| Born | c. 1880 Lowood, Queensland, Australia |
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| Died | 13 March 1909 (aged 28–29) Yarrabah, Queensland, Australia |
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| Nickname | Alec Henry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1901/02–1904/05 | Queensland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First-class debut | 29 March 1902 Queensland v New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last First-class | 22 April 1905 Queensland v New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 14 August 2012
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Albert Henry (also known as Alec Henry) was an important Aboriginal Australian cricketer. He was one of the very first Aboriginal Australians to play first-class cricket. Albert was a right-handed fast bowler. He was known for his incredible speed.
Contents
Early Life & Cricket Beginnings
Albert Henry was born around 1880 in Lowood, Queensland. His family may have been from the Jagera or Jukambe groups. Around 1900, he moved to the Deebing Creek Mission near Ipswich.
Playing for Local Teams
At Deebing Creek, Albert started playing cricket for the local Aboriginal team. Later, he played for the Bundamba team. He was tall and thin, and a very fast runner. These qualities made him a very effective fast bowler.
First-Class Cricket Career
Albert Henry played in seven first-class matches for the Queensland team. These matches took place between March 1902 and April 1905. In these games, he scored 36 runs and took 21 wickets.
Making History: Debut Match
His first-class debut was in March 1902 in Brisbane. Queensland played against the New South Wales team. Albert Henry is believed to be the first person of Aboriginal descent to play first-class cricket for Queensland.
A Special Match-Up
This match was very exciting for the media. It was the first time two Aboriginal Australian players faced each other in a first-class game. The New South Wales team had Jack Marsh, another fast bowler. People said Albert Henry was the fastest bowler in the world!
Meeting the Rival
To promote the match, Albert Henry met Jack Marsh at Ipswich station. Marsh reportedly joked, "Say old man, toss me up a soft one so I can get a smack at you." In the match, Marsh took 2 wickets for 64 runs and 3 for 67. Henry took 2 wickets for 59 runs and 1 for 38. The game ended in a draw. Both bowlers dismissed each other once.
More Matches and Best Performance
Albert Henry played against New South Wales again in November 1902. He took 5 wickets for 40 runs in one innings. This was his best bowling performance in a single innings.
He also played against New South Wales in Sydney in December 1902. He then played against the Victoria team in January 1903. In November 1903, he played against the touring MCC team. He took the wickets of famous players Len Braund and Ted Arnold. Braund said Henry's bowling was the fastest he had ever faced.
His last first-class matches were against New South Wales in December 1903 and April 1905.
Later Life and Legacy
After his first-class career, Albert Henry moved to South Brisbane. He continued to play for a club team there.
A Rule Challenge
In a club match in 1904, an umpire called some of his deliveries "no-ball" for throwing. Albert felt that his good deliveries were being called incorrectly. He said that the balls he threw on purpose were not called, but his proper ones were. He was suspended from playing for a short time and returned to Deebing Creek.
Final Years
Later, due to disagreements with government officials, Albert was moved to Barambah (now Cherbourg). He was then moved to Yarrabah in northern Queensland. Sadly, he passed away there before his 30th birthday. Albert Henry is remembered as a pioneering Aboriginal Australian cricketer who broke barriers in the sport.
See also
- Twopenny – Aboriginal Australian who played for New South Wales against Victoria in 1870
- Johnny Mullagh – Aboriginal Australian who played for Victoria against the MCC in 1879
- Jack Marsh – Aboriginal Australian who played for New South Wales from 1900 to 1902
- Eddie Gilbert (cricketer) – Aboriginal Australian who played for Queensland from 1930 to 1936
