Jimmy Blanckenberg

Who was Jimmy Blanckenberg?

James Manuel Blanckenberg was a South African cricketer. He was born in Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa on New Year’s Eve, 1892 and died c. 1955, in West Berlin, Germany.

A middle-order batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler, Blanckenberg’s first-class career spanned the years 1912 to 1924. In a period interrupted by the First World War, he played with Western Province except for his final domestic season, which was spent with Natal. For several years he was considered the best bowler in South Africa, a player that could bowl for hours on matting wickets if asked to do so. Twenty-one times during his career he took five wickets in an innings, his best being 9 for 78 gained at Johannesburg in the Currie Cup match between Transvaal and Western Province, January 1921. And three times he surpassed 10 wickets in a match - 11 for 161 in that same match at Johannesburg in January 1921, Transvaal v Western Province; 10 for 102 at Newlands, Cape Town in March 1921, Western Province v Natal; and 10 for 74 at Northampton on the South African tour of England in July 1924, Northants v South Africa. Two other bowling feats are worthy of note.