Jimmy Boucher
- Mark Chapman
- Matt Henry
- Tom Latham
- Daryl Mitchell
- Glenn Phillips
- Rachin Ravindra
- Mitchell Santner
- Ish Sodhi
- Tim Southee
- Will Young
Alphabetically sorted top ten of players who have played the most matches across formats in the last 12 months
Full Name
James Chrysostom Boucher
Born
December 22, 1910, Phoenix Park, Dublin
Died
December 25, 1995, Fuengizola, Spain, (aged 85y 3d)
Batting Style
Right hand Bat
Bowling Style
Right arm Offbreak
Education
Belvedere College, Dublin
TEAMS
James Chrysostom Boucher died peacefully on Christmas Day in Spain where he had wintered for the last 20 years after his retirement from Ireland's electricity service. He was three days past his 85th birthday. His service to Irish cricket was unrivalled in its quality and its span of 48 successive years. He was 18 years old when he first played for Ireland in 1929. In mid-season of 1954
Jimmy retired from international cricket. In 60 matches, mostly of two innings, he took 307 wickets at 15.25, 10 or more in a match seven times and five or more in an innings 31 times. His first-class match figures were 168 wickets in 28 matches at 14.04, an average better even than Hedley Verity. Seventeen matches against Scotland brought 108 wickets at 14.15, and he is the only bowler in this annual match to go over the 100-wicket mark. His best analysis was 7 for 13, in a three-day match which finished in one, against New Zealand at Rathmines, Dublin in 1937. An offspinner, he ran in from 15 yards with a high knee action and elbows pointed outwards. For a finger spinner it was an extraordinary approach. His pace was not much below medium with remarkable powers of spin and flight. He learned his cricket at Belvedere College in Dublin, coached by Albert
Knight of Leicestershire. His early club cricket (starting aged 14) was with the Civil Service CC but the bulk of his career was with the famous Phoenix club, for whom he played until he was 53. In 405 league and cup matches he took 1,303 wickets at 11.48, and five or more wickets in an innings 124 times. His batting should not be forgotten: 1,161 runs for Ireland and 7,545 in domestic cricket. As a slip fielder he was supreme. From 1954, for 20 years, he was Hon.
Secretary of the Irish Cricket Union. Because he was so well known and had
such an aura about him the Union made great progress in his era. He was an Irish
selector from 1963 to 1976. Jimmy did not suffer fools gladly if, indeed, at all. His views on most matters were unshakeable and trenchantly expressed, in particular when it came to his abhorrence of limited-overs cricket. His
friends could, and often did, `wind him up'. For all that, he was a splendid companion and he devoted his life to the game. Irish cricket has lost a great player, administrator and character. We will not look upon his like again.
Derek Scott, The Cricketer
Jimmy Boucher Career Stats
Batting & Fielding
Format | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100s | 50s | Ct | St |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FC | 28 | 51 | 5 | 625 | 85 | 13.58 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 0 |
Bowling
Format | Mat | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | 5w | 10w |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FC | 28 | 2359 | 168 | 7/13 | 14.04 | 18 | 5 |
Recent Matches of Jimmy Boucher
Match | Bat | Bowl | Date | Ground | Format |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ireland vs Sth Africans | 1 & 0 | 1/99 | 16-Jul-1951 | Dublin | OTHER |
Ireland vs Sth Africans | 14 & 3 | 4/43 & 1/19 | 13-Jul-1951 | Belfast | OTHER |
Ireland vs M.C.C. | 0 & 14 | 7/87 & 1/29 | 04-Aug-1934 | Dublin | FC |