John James Morrell McMullan (23 April 1893 – 28 April 1967) was a New Zealand cricketer and teacher. He played 32 first-class matches for Otago between the 1917–18 and 1929–30 seasons and later became a selector for the New Zealand national cricket team.
 McMullan pictured in 1938 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John James Morrell McMullan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 April 1893 Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 28 April 1967 (aged 74) Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Occasional wicket-keeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1917/18–1929/30 | Otago | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNCricinfo, 1 April 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Life and career edit
Mcullan was born at Dunedin in 1893.[1] A left-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper,[2] he made his first-class debut against Southland in 1917–18. Batting at number four, he made 157 not out, part of a team total of 313 runs.[3] Otago won by an innings.[4] In his next first-class match, against Wellington two seasons later, he made 85 not out and 25 runs in his two innings.[5] He thus scored 267 runs in his first-class career before being dismissed, setting a world first-class record which was not broken until 1946, when Sam Loxton scored 305 runs before being dismissed.[6]
The rest of his career was steady, and included two more centuries, both in the Plunket Shield: 111 against Wellington in 1923–24 (one of seven centuries in the match)[7] and 131 (after 51 in the first innings) against Auckland in 1927–28.[8] In 1923 the Otago Daily Times described him thus: "Left-hand bat of the 'rock' order. Has to be dug out; also a fine field."[9] In the 1930s he served on the selection panel for the Otago team;[10] during the Second World War he was the sole selector.[11] He also coached young players in Dunedin[12] and was a selector for the New Zealand national side.[1]
McMullan was awarded a BA in History by New Zealand University in 1920.[13] He was headmaster of the Tainui School in Dunedin until 1945, when he became headmaster of George Street School, also in Dunedin.[14] He died at Dunedin in 1967 at the age of 74.[15] An obituary was published in the New Zealand Cricket Almanack later in the year.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c McCarron A (2010) New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010, p. 87. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. ISBN 978 1 905138 98 2 (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 5 June 2023.)
- ^ John McMullan, CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 November 2023. (subscription required)
- ^ "Otago v. Southland". Southland Times. No. 17197. 18 March 1918. p. 3.
- ^ "Otago v Southland 1917–18". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ "Otago v Wellington 1919–20". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ "As he meant to go on". Deep, Backward and Square. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ "Otago v Wellington 1923–24". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ "Auckland v Otago 1927–28". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
- ^ "Auckland v. Otago Match". Otago Daily Times: 7. 5 January 1923.
- ^ "Cricket: Otago Association". Otago Daily Times: 13. 4 October 1939.
- ^ "Otago Cricket Team". Otago Daily Times: 4. 30 January 1941.
- ^ "Cricket: 'A Retrograde Step'". Otago Daily Times: 8. 15 November 1939.
- ^ "New Zealand University". Otago Daily Times: 6. 11 May 1920.
- ^ "Personal". Evening Star: 4. 7 September 1945.
- ^ John McMullan, CricInfo. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
