Bonnor Middleton

Wisden Overview
The South African left-arm seamer James Middleton was best known for his nickname `Bonnor'. It reflected the similarity, in style if not quality, between his batting and that of the meaty Australian hitter George Bonnor. Middleton was bought out of the army by Cape Town CC, and he rewarded them and Western Province with some sterling performances. He played only six Tests and South Africa lost the lot, despite his 24 wickets at 18.42. His debut at Port Elizabeth in 1895-96 - in which he returned match figures of 9 for 130 but saw his side thrashed by England by 288 runs - was symptomatic of a bitter-sweet career at the top level. His career was ended when South Africa opted to tour England with a mass of legspin bowlers.