Beldham George Image 1 Middlesex 1910

Description

New Cross, Kent born George Beldham was a successful amateur sportsman and a pioneer of action photography in sport.

He was a steady right-handed batsman and a right-arm bowler who represented Middlesex, Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.) and London County in 142 first class cricket matches between 1900 and 1907, already 32 when he made his debut for the County in 1900 having played club cricket through his 20’s. His highest aggregate in first class matches was 1,158 runs in 1901. His highest score was 155 not out against Surrey at Lord’s in 1902.

The following year made 89 and 118 against Surrey at Lord’s, and Middlesex, in their final match at the Oval, needed to avoid defeat to be certain of the County Championship; they won by an innings and 94 runs. Beldam played a big part in the victory, staying four hours and forty minutes and scoring 112 after the opening pair had fallen for 4 runs. J. T. Hearne and Albert Trott, the only professionals in the eleven, dismissed Surrey for 57, and C. M. Wells finished the match by taking five wickets for 26 with his slows.

With the bat he scored 6,575 runs at an average of 30.02, making 9 centuries and 33 half centuries. His bowling produced 107 wickets at 30.63 runs a piece with a personal best of 5-28 versus Lancashire at Liverpool in 1902, with four 5 wicket innings. He also took 83 catches in the first class game.

He also appeared several times for the Gentlemen against the Players, and in The Oval match in 1903, Beldam, with innings of 80 and 54, took a large part in beating the Players by 54 runs. Opening the innings with P. F. Warner at Lord’s in 1905 he made 22 out of 53 and, going in later in the second innings, scored 23 not out during a collapse, the Players winning by 149 runs. At The Oval the same year, despite being the highest scorer for the Gentlemen with 51 and 43, Beldam again was on the losing side.

A good footballer and tennis player, he played football for Southern League club Brentford. He became a noted artist and photographer. He was the first action photographer of sport in Britain, specialising in cricket and golf. He collaborated with C.B. Fry on two instructional books, Beldam providing the illustrations and some of the text for:

Great Batsmen: Their Methods at a Glance (1905)
Great Bowlers and Fielders: Their Methods at a Glance (1907)

He also wrote books on golf and tennis.

His brother Cyril Beldam and cousin Ernest Beldam were also cricketers, both played for Middlesex. Ernest also played for London County.