J. W. Hearne facts for kids
Hearne on a 1922 card
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
John William Hearne
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| Born | 11 February 1891 Hillingdon, England |
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| Died | 14 September 1965 (aged 74) West Drayton, England |
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| Nickname | Young Jack | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right arm leg break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 172) | 15 December 1911 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 15 June 1926 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1909–1936 | Middlesex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 29 September 2009
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John William Hearne (born in Hillingdon, England, on 11 February 1891 – died in West Drayton, England, on 14 September 1965) was a famous English cricketer. People knew him as Jack Hearne or Young Jack. He played for Middlesex from 1909 to 1936. He also played for England in 24 Test matches between 1911 and 1926.
Jack Hearne was an "all-rounder," which means he was very good at both batting and bowling. He was a right-handed batsman who could hit the ball precisely. He was not a super aggressive player, but he scored runs well. He also bowled leg spin very fast for his short run-up.
Contents
Early Life and Cricket Start
John William Hearne was born in Hillingdon, London, in 1891. Even as a teenager, he was a great player in local cricket games. Because of his talent, the Middlesex team signed him when he was just 18 years old in 1909.
He quickly became successful with his fast spin bowling. In 1910, he had an amazing game against Essex, taking 7 wickets for only 2 runs. That same year, while still a teenager, he scored two "centuries" (100 runs or more) for Middlesex.
In 1911, Jack Hearne continued to improve. He scored 234 runs against Somerset. He also took 6 wickets for 17 runs against Essex. At Lord's, he took nine wickets for 40 runs against Surrey. That year, he took 102 wickets and scored 1627 runs. He was even named a "Cricketer of the Year" by Wisden, a famous cricket book.
Playing for England
In 1911 and 1912, Jack Hearne traveled to Australia with the England team. He played in all the Test matches. However, his bowling was not as effective on the hard Australian pitches. He struggled with bowling there in later tours too.
As a batsman, he did very well in his first two Test matches in Australia. He scored 114 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which was his only Test century. This made him the youngest England player to score a Test century at the time. Only Denis Compton broke this record in 1938. Jack Hearne's and Denis Compton's centuries are still the only ones scored by England players before their 21st birthday.
Peak Performance and Later Career
After his first Australia tour, Jack Hearne's all-round skills were outstanding. He was often compared to other great all-rounders like George Herbert Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes. In 1913 and 1914, he achieved a rare feat: he scored over 2000 runs and took over 100 wickets in a single season. He also toured South Africa in 1913 and 1914. His bowling was much better on the matting wickets there.
After a less successful year in 1919, Hearne's all-round play helped Middlesex win the County Championship in 1920. However, his bowling continued to struggle on the hard Australian pitches during tours. In 1921, an injury affected his bowling. But for the next three years, he remained one of England's top all-rounders. He was especially good at batting on wet pitches.
From 1925, his bowling skills started to decline. However, he was still a strong batsman and was chosen to play for England in 1926. He remained an important player for Middlesex into the 1930s, even after a serious injury while fielding in 1928. In 1929, he scored an amazing 285 runs not out against Essex. In 1933, he showed his old bowling skill by taking 9 wickets for 61 runs, which was his best bowling performance ever.
Towards the end of his career, both his batting and bowling skills began to fade. He was eventually dropped from the Middlesex team in 1935 and played his last match in 1936.
Career Highlights and Statistics
Throughout his career, Jack Hearne played in 647 "first-class" matches. These are top-level games below international Tests. He scored a total of 37,252 runs, with his highest score being 285 runs not out. He scored 96 centuries (100 runs or more) and 159 half-centuries (50 runs or more). He also took 346 catches.
As a bowler, he took 1,839 wickets. He took "five wickets in an innings" (a great bowling achievement) 107 times. He also took "ten wickets in a match" 23 times. His best bowling figures were 9 wickets for 61 runs.
After he stopped playing for Middlesex, Jack Hearne became a life member of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1949. He passed away in West Drayton in 1965.
