Alfred Jeacocke

JEACOCKE, MR. ALFRED, who died in Lewisham Hospital on September 25, aged 68, rendered able service to Surrey as a right-handed batsman between 1920 and 1929. In 1921, when J. B. Hobbs, first because of an accident and then through illness, could play in only one county game, Jeacocke formed a splendid opening partner to A. Sandham, scoring in all matches 1,056 runs, average 42.24. An enterprising batsman specially strong in driving, he hit eight centuries for Surrey, the highest being 201 not out (twenty-two 4's) against Sussex at The Oval in 1922, and altogether obtained 6,228 runs, average 28.83. A capital slip fieldsman, he held 106 catches.

Among his six appearances for Gentlemen against Players was that at The Oval in 1927 when A. Kennedy, of Hampshire, took all ten wickets in the Gentlemen first innings at a cost of 37 runs. His first-class cricket in 1922 came to an abrupt end when Wisden records: "Jeacocke... dropped out of the team in August under circumstances that gave rise to some friction and discussion, the M.C.C. ruling, after an enquiry asked for by Kent, that his qualification was not valid." The reason was that the house where he lived came within the boundary of Kent; the other side of the road was in the county of Surrey! From 1929 onwards, Jeacocke confined his activities to club cricket, chiefly with Forest Hill.