John Boak

Who was John Boak?

John Boak was a Scottish cricketer. Boak was a right-handed batsman bowled right-arm fast. He was born at Edinburgh and educated at the Royal High School.

Boak made his only first-class appearance for Middlesex against the Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord's in 1873. In his only first-class match, he scored 19 runs at a batting average of 9.50, with a high score of 11. In the field he took 2 catches. With the ball he took a single wicket at a bowling average of 37.00, with best figures of 1/20.

Prior to his single first-class match, Boak emigrated to Australia in 1858. While there he played initially for a combined New South Wales and Victoria in the 1861/62 season. In the 1863/64 season, Boak played for New South Wales and the following season for Queensland. His matches for both New South Wales and Queensland came before either state held first-class status. He later returned to England in 1868.

Three years after playing for Middlesex, Boak was killed when he was hit by a train while crossing a railway line in Bermondsey, London on 29 October 1876.