William Bruce (cricketer) facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 22 May 1864 South Yarra, Melbourne, Australia |
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| Died | 3 August 1925 (aged 61) Elwood, Melbourne, Australia |
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| Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Left-arm medium-pace | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 32) | 1 January 1885 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 1 March 1895 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1882-83 to 1903-04 | Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 28 December 2020
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William Bruce (born May 22, 1864 – died August 3, 1925) was a talented Australian cricketer. He played in 14 Test matches for Australia between 1885 and 1895. Outside of cricket, he also worked as a lawyer in Melbourne.
Contents
William Bruce's Cricket Journey
William Bruce, often called "Billy," went to Scotch College in Melbourne. He started his top-level cricket career, known as first-class cricket, in November 1882. His first match was for the Victoria team against the English team visiting Australia. In that game, he scored 40 runs, which was the highest score for his team in the second part of the match.
Early Days and Records
In 1883-84, while playing for the Melbourne Cricket Club against Hotham, Billy Bruce made an amazing score of 328 runs without being out. At that time, this was the highest individual score ever made in any cricket match in Australia!
Playing Style and Skills
Billy Bruce was a left-handed batsman. This means he held the bat and swung it from his left side. He was also a left-arm medium-pace bowler, throwing the ball with his left arm at a medium speed. He was known for being a fantastic fielder, especially in the "cover" position. He could throw the ball very strongly with either his left or right arm!
People really admired his batting style. They said he was very graceful when he batted. His "late cut" shot was considered one of the best ever by an Australian batsman. A famous cricket writer, Johnnie Moyes, described his batting as brilliant and charming. However, his defensive skills were not as strong. This might be why his scores in Test matches were not even higher.
Test Match Debut
Billy Bruce played his first Test match in 1885. This happened during a series against England. Ten of the Australian players had gone on strike, so new players like Bruce got a chance to play. Even though he never scored 100 runs in any of his 14 Test matches, his average score was 29 runs. This was a very good average for cricketers in his time. It showed he was a strong batsman.
Touring England
He traveled to England with the Australian cricket team twice, in 1886 and 1893. During the 1893 tour, he made his highest first-class score ever: 191 runs. This was in a match against a team of players from Oxford and Cambridge Universities in Portsmouth.
His best scores in Test matches included 80 runs in Adelaide in 1894-95, 72 runs in Sydney in 1891-92, and 68 runs in Manchester in 1893. In the Manchester match, his score of 68 was the highest by any player in that game.
Other Sports
In 1888, Billy Bruce also played a game of baseball! He joined the Melbourne Baseball Club to play against the Chicago White Stockings, a famous team from the U.S. National League. This American team was visiting Australia as part of a world tour. Billy Bruce was the pitcher for the Melbourne team. Reports said he had "very good form for a novice," meaning he was good at it even though he was new to the sport.
Victoria and Sheffield Shield
For his home team, Victoria, Billy Bruce's highest score was 128 runs. He made this in 1892-93 against the New South Wales team. This was a very special match because it was Victoria's first-ever game in the Sheffield Shield competition. Billy Bruce's 128 runs was Victoria's first century (score of 100 or more runs) in the Sheffield Shield.
He also had great bowling performances. His best first-class bowling figures were 7 wickets for 72 runs. He achieved this for Victoria against the touring English team in 1886-87.
Later Life
William Bruce passed away on August 3, 1925, in Elwood, a suburb of Melbourne.
See also
- List of Victoria first-class cricketers
