Jack Crossland

Who was Jack Crossland?

John "Jack" Crossland was an English professional cricketer who played for Lancashire between 1878 and 1887. A right-arm fast bowler, Crossland was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in county cricket. However, he was also widely criticised for throwing, rather than bowling the ball. Were it not for this, he would have probably played for England against Australia in 1882 or 1884.

Crossland was born in Nottinghamshire, but qualified to play for Lancashire due to residency. He made his first-class debut for his adopted county in 1878, but his bowling was most effective from 1881 until 1884. His best year was 1882, when he topped the national bowling averages, claiming 112 wickets at an average of just over ten. The presence of Crossland, and a number of other bowlers with suspect actions, in the Lancashire team resulted in some counties refusing to play fixtures against during the mid-1880s. During 1885, a ruling from the Marylebone Cricket Club barred Crossland from playing for Lancashire as his qualification for the county had been breached by him living in Nottinghamshire during the winter. The ruling forced his retirement from county cricket, though he continued to appear in other matches for a few years following that.