40-820: Andrew James Hall (born 31 July 1975) is a former South African first-class cricketer who played from 1999 until 2011. He played as an all-rounder who bowled fast-medium pace and has been used as both an opening batsman and in the lower order. He was born in Johannesburg in South Africa in 1975 and educated at Hoërskool Alberton in Alberton, Gauteng . Prior to making it on the South African first-class cricket scene he played indoor cricket for South Africa. He broke through in 1995/96 and has played for Transvaal, Gauteng, and Easterns. Internationally, Hall
80-487: A Kolpak player. While playing for Northants he set a record for the side's best Twenty20 bowling figures, taking 6/21 against Worcestershire in 2008. He also achieved his best Twenty20 batting performance in the same game (66 not out). He became captain of the county in 2010 after fellow South African Nicky Boje resigned, remaining captain until after the 2012 season when he was replaced by Stephen Peters . During his tenure as captain he nearly led Northants to promotion in
120-512: A contemporary report (i.e., termed "a great match" in this case) and to have been played for a large sum of money was one in Sussex between two unnamed eleven-a-side teams contesting "fifty guineas apiece" in June 1697, a match of enormous historical significance but with no statistical data recorded. Nicky Boje Nico Boje ( / ˌ b ɔɪ ˈ j eɪ / boy- YAY ; born 20 March 1973)
160-728: A first-class match, that the ICC clearly stipulates that its match type list "is not exhaustive and is merely indicative of the matches which would fall into the first-class definition". For example, the list includes matches of recognised first-class teams versus international touring teams; and the leading domestic championships (using their then-current names) such as the County Championship , Sheffield Shield , Ranji Trophy , etc. The absence of any ICC ruling about matches played before 1947 (or before 1895 in Great Britain)
200-444: A gun pointed to his head. First-class cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms First-class cricket , along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket , is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket . A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and
240-451: A hundred. In 2004, due to the absence of the recently retired Gary Kirsten and non-touring Herschelle Gibbs , he was promoted to open the batting in the Test series against India . He reacted to the added responsibility by scoring 163 at Kanpur - his maiden Test century. The century was made against the likes of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh , batting for almost ten hours. He holds
280-617: A line between what was important historically and what should form part of the statistical record. Hence, for pre-1895 (i.e., in Great Britain) cricket matches, "first-class" is essentially a statistical concept while the historical concept is broader and takes account of historical significance. Webber's rationale was that cricket was "generally weak before 1864" (there was a greater and increasingly more organised effort to promote county cricket from about that time) and match details were largely incomplete, especially bowling analyses, which hindered compilation of records. According to Webber's view,
320-503: A list of early matches which are believed to have been of a high standard. Test cricket , the highest standard of cricket, is statistically a form of first-class cricket, though the term "first-class" is mainly used to refer to domestic competition. A player's first-class statistics include any performances in Test matches. Before 1894 "first-class" was a common adjective applied to cricket matches in England, used loosely to suggest that
360-451: A match had a high standard; adjectives like "great", "important" and "major" were also loosely applied to such matches, but there tended to be differences of opinion. In the inaugural issue of Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game on 10 May 1882, the term is used twice on page 2 in reference to the recently completed tour of Australia and New Zealand by Alfred Shaw's XI . The report says it
400-594: A meeting of the Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) in 1947, it was formally defined on a global basis. A significant omission of the ICC ruling was any attempt to define first-class cricket retrospectively. That has left historians, and especially statisticians, with the problem of how to categorise earlier matches, especially those played in Great Britain before 1895. The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS) has published
440-585: A reason for his decision, Graham Ford - Hall's coach at Kent - speculated it was due to his omission from the 2007 Twenty20 World Championship squad, saying: I can only assume that he was reacting to the bitter disappointment of being left out of the World Cup [Championship] squad. Hall played for Durham Cricket Board in the 1999 NatWest Trophy , his first experience in English County Cricket . He played one List A match for Suffolk in
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#1732791471615480-634: Is "taking" the first-class matches to be one against Sydney ( sic ), two each against Victoria , the Combined team and the Australian Eleven, and another against South Australia . In the fourth issue on 1 June 1882, James Lillywhite refers to first-class matches on the tour but gives a different list. The earliest known match scorecards date from 1744 but few have been found before 1772. The cards for three 1772 matches have survived and scorecards became increasingly common thereafter. At
520-529: Is a South African former cricketer who played in 43 Tests , 115 One Day Internationals and single Twenty20 International for South Africa. Boje was a member of the South Africa team that won the 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy , the only ICC trophy the country has won till date. Boje was a member of Africa XI team for 2005 Afro-Asia Cup . He is the first cap of Twenty20 Internationals for South Africa as well. He attended Grey College in Bloemfontein. He
560-399: Is a fairly comprehensive store of data about 19th century matches, certainly since 1825. Subsequently, Webber's view was challenged by Bill Frindall who believed that 1815 should be the startpoint to encompass the entire roundarm bowling phase of cricket's history, although roundarm did not begin in earnest until 1827. In Frindall's view, the inaugural first-class match should have been
600-518: Is currently coaching the Knights cricket team in the Free State , South Africa . His brother, Eduard Boje , also played first-class cricket . Boje joined English side Northamptonshire CCC for the last few weeks of the 2007 season as a replacement overseas player for Johan Van der Wath . A few days later it was announced that he would be joining the breakaway Indian Cricket League . In 2008,
640-408: Is officially adjudged to be worthy of the status by virtue of the standard of the competing teams. Matches must allow for the teams to play two innings each, although in practice a team might play only one innings or none at all. The etymology of "first-class cricket" is unknown, but the term was used loosely before it acquired official status in 1895, following a meeting of leading English clubs. At
680-457: Is problematic for those cricket statisticians who wish to categorise earlier matches in the same way. They have responded by compiling their own match lists and allocating a strictly unofficial first-class status to the matches they consider to have been of a high standard. It is therefore a matter of opinion only with no official support. Inevitable differences have arisen and there are variations in published cricket statistics . In November 2021,
720-548: The 2002 Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy whilst playing for Rawtenstall in the Lancashire League . This was Halls only appearance in any form of cricket for Suffolk. He then played his first senior English cricket for Worcestershire in the 2003 and 2004 English seasons. Hall moved to play for Kent from 2005 to 2007, playing parts of each season when not appearing for the South African side. He returned to England in 2008 when he signed for Northamptonshire as
760-430: The County Championship . Hall continued to play for Northants until the end of the 2014 season when he was not offered a new contract. He announced his retirement from professional cricket shortly afterwards. Hall was the victim of a robbery at an automatic teller machine in 1999 during which he was shot in his left hand. The mugger is said to have fired six shots at him. In 2002, he was driven around in his own car with
800-411: The captain of Northamptonshire , David Sales , resigned and Boje took over the role as captain for Northamptonshire . In that season, he scored his highest ever First class cricket score of 226*. He signed a new one-year contract on 3 September 2009 which saw him lead the club through the 2010 season. Boje's international career began in 1995 against Zimbabwe , and although he was in and out of
840-596: The ACS had published its Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles, 1709–1863 in which it listed all the known matches during that period which it considered to have historical importance. The ACS did stipulate that they had taken a more lenient view of importance regarding matches played in the 18th century than they did of matches played in the 19th century. As they explained, surviving details of 18th century matches are typically incomplete while there
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#1732791471615880-464: The ACS' Important Matches guide, which have left no scorecard and for which only a brief announcement or report exists, must be based on other factors. Contemporary importance was often measured by the amount of money at stake and the fact that a match was deemed notable enough to be reported in the press. The 18th century matches in the ACS list were primarily compiled to assist historians. The earliest match known to have been accorded superior status in
920-419: The ICC and the application of ICC conditions when the match is played. In 2010, the ICC published its Classification of Official Cricket which includes the criteria with which a match must comply to achieve a desired categorisation. In the section on first-class cricket, there is a list of the types of match that should qualify. It is important to note, given the differences in opinion about what constitutes
960-463: The ICC retrospectively applied first-class status to women's cricket , aligning it with the men's game. A key issue for the statisticians is when first-class cricket for their purpose is deemed to have begun. Writing in 1951, Roy Webber argued that the majority of matches prior to 1864 (i.e., the year in which overarm bowling was legalised) "cannot be regarded as first-class" and their records are used "for their historical associations". This drew
1000-865: The World Record 8th wicket stand in ODI cricket of 138 with Justin Kemp , made against India in November 2006. His contribution was an unbeaten 56 from 47 balls and he went on to take 3 wickets in the second innings. During the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies he took his maiden 5 wicket haul (5/18) against England on 17 April at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados. Hall retired from international cricket in September 2007. Whilst not giving
1040-634: The answers. In 1880, the Cricket Reporting Agency was founded. It acquired influence through the decade especially by association with Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ( Wisden ) and the press came to generally rely on its information and opinions. The term acquired official status, though limited to matches in Great Britain, following a meeting at Lord's in May 1894 between the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) committee and
1080-400: The beginning of the 1860s, there were only four formally constituted county clubs. Sussex was the oldest, formed in 1839, and it had been followed by Kent , Nottinghamshire and Surrey . In the early 1860s, several more county clubs were founded, and questions began to be raised in the sporting press about which should be categorised as first-class, but there was considerable disagreement in
1120-431: The country's highest playing standard. Later ICC rulings make it possible for international teams from associate members of the ICC to achieve first-class status but it is dependent on the status of their opponents in a given match. According to the ICC definition, a match may be adjudged first-class if: A Test match is a first-class match played between two ICC full member countries, subject to their current status at
1160-577: The inaugural first-class match was the opening game of the 1864 season between Cambridge University and MCC at Fenner's on 12 and 13 May, Cambridge winning by 6 wickets. When the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS) published its Guide to First-Class Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles in 1982, it tentatively agreed with Webber's 1864 start date by saying that "the line between first-class and other matches becomes more easily discernible about that date". A year earlier,
1200-435: The inaugural first-class match was the opening game of the 1895 season between MCC and Nottinghamshire at Lord's on 1 and 2 May, MCC winning by 37 runs. " Test match " was another loosely applied term at the time but the first list of matches considered to be "Tests" was conceived and published by South Australian journalist Clarence P. Moody in his 1894 book, Australian Cricket and Cricketers, 1856 to 1893–94 . His proposal
1240-717: The internet, the CricketArchive (CA) and ESPN Cricinfo (CI) databases both say the earliest first-class match was Hampshire v England at Broadhalfpenny Down on 24 and 25 June 1772. At that time, cricket matches were played with a two-stump wicket and exclusively underarm bowling , although other features of the modern game had been introduced. The opinion of these databases has been repudiated by both Wisden and Playfair Cricket Annual . Wisden agrees with Frindall by commencing its first-class records in 1815. Playfair supports Webber and begins its records in 1864. The status of earlier matches, including many in
Andrew Hall - Misplaced Pages Continue
1280-416: The match. He retired from international cricket in September 2007 but continued to play domestic cricket in both South Africa and England until 2014. During the 2003 England tour he received a late call-up to the South African squad and impressed with 16 wickets in the Test series. He scored a match-winning 99 not out at Headingley and became the 5th batsman in Test cricket to have been stranded one short of
1320-527: The opening game of the 1815 season between MCC and Middlesex at Lord's on 31 May and 1 June, Middlesex winning by 16 runs. Notwithstanding Frindall's reputation, Webber's view has been revived and reinforced in recent times. For example, the Kent researcher Derek Carlaw began his study of Kent cricketers since 1806 by stating: "Part One is confined to players who appeared for Kent in important matches from 1806 to 1863 and first-class matches from 1864 to 1914". On
1360-435: The reasonably high average he never hit a Test century, although did make two ODI centuries against New Zealand in 2000–01 . And also in that 6 match ODI series, he amassed 355 runs in 6 innings and broke the record for scoring the most runs in a 6 match bilateral ODI series In December 2006, Boje announced his retirement from international cricket, effective immediately. He finished his career with exactly 100 Test wickets,
1400-486: The secretaries of the clubs involved in the official County Championship , which had begun in 1890. As a result, those clubs became first-class from 1895 along with MCC, Cambridge University , Oxford University , senior cricket touring teams (i.e., Australia and South Africa at that time) and other teams designated as such by MCC (e.g., North v South , Gentlemen v Players and occasional "elevens" which consisted of recognised first-class players). Officially, therefore,
1440-617: The status of teams. For example, MCC was authorised to determine the status of matches played in Great Britain. To all intents and purposes, the 1947 ICC definition confirmed the 1894 MCC definition, and gave it international recognition and usage. Hence, official judgment of status is the responsibility of the governing body in each country that is a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The governing body grants first-class status to international teams and to domestic teams that are representative of
1480-400: The team due to injuries he established himself as South Africa's first choice spin bowler . Due to the amount of all-rounders in the South African team, Boje usually batted at eight or nine in the batting order, despite a first class batting average of 32 and both Test and ODI averages around 26, which was the highest for a regular number nine in Test cricket in the 2000s. However, despite
1520-540: Was formally defined by the then Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) on 19 May 1947. It was made clear that the definition "will not have retrospective effect". The definition is as follows: A match of three or more days' duration between two sides of eleven players officially adjudged first-class, shall be regarded as a first-class fixture. Matches in which either team have more than eleven players or which are scheduled for less than three days shall not be regarded as first-class. The Governing body in each country shall decide
1560-516: Was initially thought of solely as a limited overs cricket specialist and made his ODI debut against the West Indies at Durban in 1999. He was a regular in the ODI side until 2007, taking part in South Africa's 2003 Cricket World Cup squad and the 2007 Cricket World Cup . He appeared in the Test side sporadically and made his debut in 2002 against Australia at Cape Town . Batting at number 8, he scored 70 but did not pick up any wickets in
1600-610: Was widely accepted after a list of 39 matches was reproduced in the 28 December 1894 issue of Cricket magazine. The list began with the Melbourne Cricket Ground match played 15–17 March 1877 and ended with a recent match at the Association Ground, Sydney played 14–20 December 1894. All of Moody's matches, plus four additional ones, were retrospectively recognised as Test matches and also, thereby, as first-class matches. The term "first-class cricket"
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