English cricketer
Jem Broadbridge
|
Full name
| James Broadbridge
|
---|
Born
| (
1795-06-25
)
25 June 1795
Duncton
,
Sussex
|
---|
Died
| 12 February 1843
(1843-02-12)
(aged 47)
Duncton, Sussex
|
---|
Batting
| Right-handed
|
---|
Bowling
| Right-arm fast-medium
|
---|
Role
| All-rounder
|
---|
|
Years
| Team
|
1814?1840
| Sussex
|
---|
|
---|
|
James
"
Jem
"
Broadbridge
(1795?1843) was an English professional
cricketer
who is widely considered the outstanding
all-rounder
in England during the 1820s. He played mainly for
Sussex teams
and made 102 known appearances in
first-class cricket
from 1814 to 1840,
[1]
being best remembered for his part in the introduction of
roundarm bowling
. He played for the Players in the
Gentlemen v Players
series and the
South
in the
North v. South
series.
Cricket career
[
edit
]
Born on 25 June 1795 in
Duncton
,
Petworth
, Sussex, Jem Broadbridge had a known career spanning the 1814 to 1840 English seasons. In 102 matches, he scored 2,671 runs at a
batting average
of 16.59 runs per innings with a highest score of 135. He took 51 catches and at least 324 wickets.
[1]
He had an outstanding season in 1825 when inter-county cricket was revived for the first time since 1796, with Sussex playing two matches each against
Hampshire
and
Kent
. Broadbridge scored the most runs in the season with 552 at an average of 46.00 and also took the most wickets with 31. This was the first time that one player had led both the batting and bowling rankings in a single season.
Broadbridge repeated the feat in 1828, the year after the
roundarm trial matches
, when he scored 316 runs at 19.75 and took 46 wickets. Although roundarm had not yet been formally legalised, it was noted that Broadbridge and his Sussex colleague
William Lillywhite
constantly bowled with arm outstretched and the umpires did not no-ball them. Roundarm became known as "Sussex bowling" and this nickname stuck for a long time.
Broadbridge had been arguably the best player in England during the 1820s but he was past his best in the 1830s, although he still had much to offer in terms of knowledge and experience. He continued playing until the 1840 season.
Roundarm controversy
[
edit
]
Broadbridge and Lillywhite were innovators who did much to have
roundarm bowling
legalised. In the
1827 season
, three
roundarm trial matches
were staged between Sussex and
All-England
to evaluate roundarm
vis-a-vis
underarm
. Broadbridge and Lillywhite were allowed to bowl roundarm for Sussex but the All-England players had to bowl underarm. The result of the "trial" was inconclusive but in practice, with umpires turning a blind eye, Broadbridge and Lillywhite continued to bowl roundarm without penalty.
Style and technique
[
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]
Known to his fellow cricketers as "Our Jem", Broadbridge was arguably the outstanding
all-rounder
of his time. According to
Arthur Haygarth
in
Scores and Biographies
, he was "considered for some seasons the best general cricketer in England, both as a batsman, bowler and
single wicket
player".
[2]
He bowled right-arm fast-medium and batted right-handed. He was described by Haygarth as "an extremely hard hitter".
[2]
The bowling of Broadbridge and Lillywhite was the key factor in the success of Sussex, which was hailed as the
Champion County
in the 1820s. Haygarth says that Broadbridge began as a "slinging" bowler who afterwards delivered roundarm. He was quicker than medium pace but varied his length and speed "with effect".
[2]
Broadbridge was described as "one of the most fox-headed fellows that ever bowled and was enough to worry and puzzle any man alive".
[3]
In the third of the
roundarm trial matches
in 1827, Broadbridge was out to one of the most unusual dismissals ever recorded. Despite his team having been told to bat steadily in their second innings when chasing 120 to win, Broadbridge at the start literally threw his bat out of his hands at a wide delivery. Bat and ball made contact and the ball flew off to point where it was caught by
William Ward
and Broadbridge was out. England then won by 25 runs.
[3]
Family and personal life
[
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]
Broadbridge belonged to a farming family and lived all his life at Duncton. He regularly walked from Duncton to Brighton and back, a 60 miles (97 km) round trip, to play cricket.
[4]
He was the son of William and Mary Broadbridge. His height was 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and he weighed about 12 stone (76 kg). He died at Dunction in 1843 having not married.
[2]
His elder brother
William Broadbridge
(1790?1860) was an occasional Sussex player in 25 matches between 1817 and 1830. His younger brother Robin (born 1797) played four matches between 1822 and 1824. The Broadbridge brothers were cousins of their Sussex colleague
George Millyard
.
Broadbridge's home village of Duncton has a pub named
The Cricketers
in honour of Broadbridge and his colleague
Jemmy Dean
, another lifelong resident.
References
[
edit
]