American Cricket: The Great Philadelphia Wicketkeepers

Philadelphia played first-class cricket for 35 years. Legendary swing bowler John Barton King was by far the best American to have ever played the game, but he was by no means the only cricketer to grace that team. George Patterson and John Lester were fine batsmen; fast bowler Percy Clark and googly bowler Ranji Hordern would have graced any team. In Crawford Coates, they had an outfielder to rival Jessop and Pete O'Neil once took ten outfield catches in a single game playing for Germantown against Australia There is one area, however, that is often overlooked. From 1891 until the end of their first-class cricketing adventure, the Gentlemen of Philadelphia cricket team was blessed to have had four wicketkeepers who were as good as any playing the game. In order, they were Frank Ralston, Henry Scattergood, Tom Jordan and Charles Winter; this is their story. (50 pages).