Iddon Jack Image 1 Lancashire 1932

Description

Mawdesley, Lancashire born right-handed middle-order batsman Jack Iddon came of a cricketing family, his father having been professional to the Lancaster Cricket Club for fourteen years. He hit the ball hard and was an integral part of successful Lancashire teams from 1926 to 1939. After doing well playing for Leyland Motors, he made his County debut against Oxford University in 1924, passing 1,000 runs in a season 13 times – every year except 1927 – and going on to an aggregate of 2,381 runs in 1934. His first century came against Surrey at Old Trafford in 1927, and two years later he played his highest innings, 222 against Leicestershire at Liverpool.

As a slow left-arm orthodox spin bowler, he achieved a lot of turn on wearing pitches. His best bowling season was 1932 when he took 80 wickets. In later years, he was inclined to be expensive and bowled less, but his best bowling performance of 9-42 in an innings in the Roses match against Yorkshire came at Sheffield in 1937, a season when he took only 28 wickets all season.

Iddon’s Test cricket was confined to the 1934-35 tour to the West Indies, when he played in all four Test matches making his debut at Bridgetown in January 1935, and one match against South Africa at Trent Bridge in June 1935. In the Caribbean, he came second in the England batting averages despite never batting higher than No. 7 in any innings; with George Paine and Eric Hollies in the side, his opportunities for bowling were limited to just seven overs. In the first match of the 1935 series, he again batted at No. 7, scored 29 and bowled four overs for three runs. But he was dropped and never regained his Test place.

Iddon played for Lancashire in a couple of the non-first class matches arranged after the end of the Second World War in 1945, but was not intending to resume full time cricket in 1946, though the County hoped he would appear on occasion as an amateur and had appointed him team captain. He was working as a technical representative for a company making brake linings in Manchester, and he was on his way home from a business meeting at Rolls-Royce in Crewe when he was killed in a road accident aged 44 just before the start of the 1946 season. Iddon was the second Lancashire cricketer to meet his death in a road accident after Ted McDonald in 1937. Damages totalling £9,801 were awarded at Stafford Assizes to Mrs. Iddon as compensation.

In 504 first class matches he scored 22,681 runs at an average of 36.76 with 46 centuries and 112 half centuries. With his bowling he took 551 wickets at 26.90 apiece with 2 ten wicket matches and 14 five wicket innings performances.

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