Blanckenberg Jimmy Image 2 Natal 1924

Description

Cape Town, Cape Colony born right-arm medium pace bowler Jimmy Blanckenberg’s first class career spanned the years 1912 to 1924, being interrupted by the First World War. He began his career playing for Western Province and went on to play eighteen Test matches in total for South Africa, appearing in every Test match played by South Africa from his debut until the final Test of South Africa’s tour of England in 1924, A tireless, nagging, accurate medium-pace bowler, Blanckenberg was most effective on the matting pitches that were prevalent in South Africa during his career.

Blanckenberg made his Test debut against England on 13th December 1913 during England’s 1913-14 tour of South Africa, taking 19 wickets at 22.52. Although the tourists won the series 4-0, Blanckenberg’s tally in the series was second only to that of England’s Sydney Barnes. After the War he claimed 12 wickets against Australia in 1921-22 and then another 25 at 24.52 against the England tourists the following season. In his final domestic season in South Africa, he played for Natal before joining South Africa’s tour of England in 1924, during which Blanckenberg struggled on the grass wickets used in England, taking just four wickets in five Tests at an average of 102.75. Although he was unproductive in the Tests, he ended the summer with 119 wickets at 22 apiece. It was at the end of this tour that Blanckenberg played his final first class match, for the South Africans against CI Thornton’s XI at Scarborough.

In 74 first class matches, he took 293 at 21.26 apiece, with five wickets in an innings on 21 occasions, managing 10 wickets in a match three times, his career best figures of 9-78 coming in a Currie Cup fixture for Western Province against Transvaal at Old Wanderers in January 1921. A useful middle or lower-order batsman, Blanckenberg’s single first class century came in December 1923 for Natal against his former team, Western Province, when he scored 171 in a fifth wicket partnership with Dave Nourse worth 291. He also made 9 half centuries, averaging 22.32 with the bat in the first class game.

Following the 1924 season, Blanckenberg was the professional for Nelson in the Lancashire League from 1925 until 1928, for East Lancashire from 1929 until 1930, and for Bacup in 1931.

Blanckenberg was from a cricketing family. His brother Nicholas played 11 first class matches for Western Province after the First World War through to 1926-27, and two nephews, Anthony and Clive van Ryneveld, both played first class cricket for Oxford University in the 1940’s, with Clive going on to represent Western Province and South Africa at Test level in the 1950’s.

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