A-Z (H12)

A-Z (H12)

February 6, 2018, 9:28 am
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Hill country today

Hill, Anthony Ewart Ledger (206 – Amateur) born Sparsholt House, Hants 14.7.1901, died Winchester 25.10.1986. He had the burden of being the son of AJL, a leading Hampshire cricketer in their early years in the Championship, who played for England (below) although without that connection he might have played little if any first-class cricket. AEL Hill made his first-class debut in 1920, shortly after leaving Marlborough, and through the decade appeared in 18 matches, but with little success, scoring 193 runs at 7.42 and a best of 24. He played in one first-class match for MCC v Wales in 1928. He played for Hampshire Hogs, and toured Canada with the Free Foresters.

Hill, Arthur James Ledger (7 – Amateur) born Bassett 26.7.1871, died Sparsholt House 6.9.1950. AJL Hill, known as Ledger, was predominantly a batting all-rounder who enjoyed a successful first-class career for Hampshire from 1895-1920. He played at Marlborough and Cambridge University, winning his blue in all four years 1890-1893 and by then was playing in Minor Counties matches for Hampshire. In 1895, he played in Hampshire’s first match in the County Championship, opening the batting, but being run out in both innings. He toured variously with Lord Hawke to India in 1892/3, USA in 1894 and South Africa in 1895/6 when the three matches against South Africa were subsequently designated Test Matches. In the last of them, Hill scored 124 and took 4-8 but never played for England again, mainly because many strong players were not on that tour, but also because as an amateur he remained in South Africa on business through that year.

As a consequence, he missed the 1896 county season but returned in 1897, although he never played in more than the 16 first-class games in that year and only in 1898 (14) did he play more than 11 times – post war, he played seven matches in three seasons, including 90 v Middlesex in his second match of 1919. Despite not playing regularly – he never made 1,000 runs in a season – his career record was nonetheless indicative of his ability; for Hampshire he scored 8,381 runs at 30.58 with 17 centuries including a best of 199 v Surrey at the Oval in 1898, and he took 199 wickets at 31.22, with 7-36 v Leicestershire at Southampton in 1897. In 1905 he scored a century in both innings v Somerset at Taunton and averaged 46.53. He and his son both played in 1920, although not in the same first-class match and in later years he was a member of the club’s committee, and chairman from 1935-1939.

Hill, Gerald (‘Gerry’) (264) born Totton 15.4.1913, died Lyndhurst 31.1.2006. Off-spinning all rounder Gerry Hill was a cheerful cricketer who played for Hampshire in 371 matches from 1932-1954, a period when the first group of great professionals were retiring and during which Hampshire rarely rose from the bottom reaches of the Championship. In those 17 years he played under six ‘official’ captains (all amateurs) and a number of deputies, five in the 1930s alone, although the arrival of Eagar in 1946 brought greater stability.

He was discovered by Arthur Conan Doyle who was playing golf with Gerry’s father in the New Forest when they stopped to watch a local match. The author spotted a young man showing some ability and on discovering it was his companion’s son, recommended him to Hampshire. A trial was followed by a contract and he made his first-class debut in 1932. There would be 371 first-class matches by the end of his career but unlike many amateurs, or major players, he was a one-team man – every game for his county. His all-round status is confirmed by 9,085 runs and 617 wickets but it was not the case that in every year the return was a balanced one. For example, he batted at various times in all eleven positions for Hampshire and while there were 28 half-centuries his conversion rate was low with just four occasions when he reached three figures. In 1936 he struggled terribly with the bat scoring just 276 runs at 8.36 but two years later he scored 935 runs at his best average of 28.33, and in both 1946 and 1947 he reached four figures in the season.

With the ball he broke through in 1935 with 93 wickets at just below 25. There were just 43 wickets in the difficult 1936 season, but then 83, although in the last two seasons before the war his tally dropped considerably. He took 51 wickets on return and 48 in 1947 but thereafter never more than 35 – he was part of a strong spin attack in those later years with Charlie Knott, Jim Bailey and Reg Dare; all succeeded by the youngsters Sainsbury and Burden in the mid 1950s. His final year was 1954 and he admitted he missed it terribly. He played for some years with JS White’s at Cowes, and lived out his long life in the New Forest, but he remains in the Hampshire records for his 5th wicket partnership of 235 with ‘Hooky’ Walker v Sussex at Portsmouth in 1937 which has never been broken. By strange coincidence JH & HW Parks set the Sussex record for that wicket in the same match and it too still stands.

Hill, Michael John (‘Mick’) (370) born Berkshire 1.7.1951. Hill was one of those least fortunate of professional cricketer, the wicketkeeping understudy; in his case to Bob Stephenson who rarely missed a match during the 1970s. Hill played for Hampshire 2nd XI from 1970 and made his debut v West Indies in 1973 – indeed three of his six matches were against touring XIs. In 1976 covering injury, he had a run of four first-class and three List A games in May, but that was the end of his first-class career, although he remained on the staff until the end of the following season, and the arrival of Bobby Parks.

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