William Ling (cricketer)

William Victor Stone Ling (3 October 1891 – 26 September 1960) was a South African cricketer who played in six Test matches from 1921 to 1923.

William Ling
Personal information
Full name
William Victor Stone Ling
Born(1891-10-03)3 October 1891
Kimberley, Cape Colony
Died26 September 1960(1960-09-26) (aged 68)
Brakpan, Transvaal, South Africa
BattingRight-handed
BowlingLegbreak googly
International information
National side
Test debut5 November 1921 v Australia
Last Test18 January 1923 v England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1910/11–1926–27Griqualand West
1928/29Eastern Province
1929/30Griqualand West
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class
Matches 6 48
Runs scored 168 2,618
Batting average 16.80 31.16
100s/50s 0/0 3/18
Top score 38 187
Balls bowled 18 3,062
Wickets 0 72
Bowling average 31.52
5 wickets in innings 3
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 7/60
Catches/stumpings 1/– 20/–
Source: Cricinfo, 31 January 2017

Cricket career edit

A middle-order batsman and leg-spin bowler, Ling played first-class cricket for Griqualand West from 1911 to 1930, except for a season with Eastern Province in 1928–29.[1] He was the second-highest scorer in the Currie Cup in 1920–21, with 434 runs at an average of 48.22,[2] and was selected for all three Tests against the touring Australians late in 1921.[3] He scored 33 and 28 in the First Test[4] and finished the series with 115 runs at an average of 19.15.[5]

Ling was the third-highest scorer in the Currie Cup in 1921–22, with 407 runs at an average of 58.14,[6] and was selected for the first three Tests against England in 1922–23.[3] He was less successful this time, and after missing most of the Third Test when he was summoned home to Kimberley to be with his seriously ill mother, he played no further Tests.[3]

Although Ling was a wicket-taking leg-break and googly bowler in domestic cricket, he bowled only three overs in his six Tests. His best bowling performances in first-class cricket were 7 for 60 from 94 balls in Griqualand West's victory over Western Province in January 1926,[7] and 6 for 77 off 90 balls in an innings loss to Orange Free State in March 1911.[8] The highest of his three centuries in first-class cricket was 187 in a drawn match against Orange Free State in December 1923.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ "First-class matches played by William Ling". CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  2. ^ "Batting and Fielding in Currie Cup 1920/21". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Christopher Martin-Jenkins, The Complete Who's Who of Test Cricketers, Rigby, Adelaide, 1983, p. 294.
  4. ^ "1st Test, Durban, November 05-09, 1921, Australia tour of South Africa". Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  5. ^ "The Australian Tour in South Africa". The Cricketer: 19–21. 6 May 1922.
  6. ^ "Batting and Fielding in Currie Cup 1921/22". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Griqualand West v Western Province 1925–26". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Griqualand West v Orange Free State 1910–11". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Griqualand West v Orange Free State 1923–24". CricketArchive. Retrieved 18 April 2023.

External links edit