On the eve of the Ashes and with the Scotch First XI about to embark on an England Tour overseas to test their skills against English school teams, there is no better time than to recognise Scotch College’s remarkable success in the world of cricket.
In 2010 it was discovered that Scotch had 11 Test Cricketers, which was more than from any other Australian school.
Captain: Joseph Darling CBE
Born: 21 November 1870, Glen Osmond, South Australia
Scotch: 1883-84 (left to Prince Alfred College, Adelaide, 1884-87)
Died: 2 February 1946, Hobart, Tasmania
Debut Test: Sydney, 14–20 December 1894
Captain: Test teams touring England, 1899, 1902 and 1905.
Final Test: The Oval, 14–16 August 1905
Tests: 34
Runs: 1,657
Average: 28.56
High score: 178
Of note: Debuted with fellow Old Boy Charles Edward McLeod; One of Wisden’s 1899 Cricketers of the Year
Batsman: John McIlwraith
Born: 7 October 1857, Collingwood, Victoria
Scotch: 1873-?
Died: 5 July 1938, Camberwell, Victoria
Debut (and only) Test: The Oval, 12–14 August 1886
Tests: 1
Runs: 9
Average: 9
High score: 7
Of note: Dropped W.G. Grace on 93: Grace scored a then-English test record 170; played with fellow Old Boy William Bruce
Batsman: William Bruce
Born: 22 May 1864, South Yarra, Victoria
Scotch: 1879-81
Scotch cricket: 1st XI 1880 and 1881
Died: 3 August 1925, Port Philip Bay, Victoria
Debut Test: MCG, 1-5 January 1885
Final Test: MCG, 1-6 March 1895
Tests: 14
Runs: 702
Average: 29.25
High score: 80
Wickets: 12
Average: 36.66
Best: 3/92
Of note: First left-handed batsman to tour England; played with fellow Old Boy John McIlwraith
Batsman: Colin Campbell McDonald AM
Born: 17 November 1928, Windsor, Victoria
Scotch:1942-46
Scotch cricket: 1st XI 1944, 1945 and 1946
Died: 8 January 2021; Melbourne, Victoria
Debut Test: Sydney, 25-29 January 1952
Final Test: Leeds, 6-8 July 1961
Tests: 47
Runs: 3,107
Average: 39.32
High score: 170
Of note: No. 1 batsman in the world for the 1959 calendar year: 671 runs at an average of 61.00
Batsman: Robert Maskew Cowper
Born: 5 October 1940, Kew, Victoria
Scotch: 1952-58
Scotch cricket: 1st XI 1955, 1956, 1957,1958
Debut Test: Leeds, 2-6 July 1964
Final Test: Leeds, 25-30 July 1968
Tests: 27
Runs: 2,061
Average: 48.84
High score: 307
Wickets: 36
Average: 31.63
Best: 7/135
Of note: Bob’s 307 at the MCG on 12 and 14 February 1966 is the highest individual Test score at the ground
Bowler: George Alexander
Born: 22 April 1851, Britwell Salome, England
Scotch: 1867
Died: 6 November 1930, Richmond, Victoria
Debut Test: The Oval, 6–8 September 1880
Final Test: Adelaide, 12–16 December 1884
Tests: 2
Runs: 52
Average: 13.00
High score: 33
Wickets: 2
Average: 46.50
Best: 2/69
Of note: Team manager instrumental in setting up and playing in the first Test match in England; team manager and player in the inaugural Adelaide Test. Not known to Scotch as a Test cricketer until his ‘discovery’ in 2010.
Bowler: Robert William McLeod
Born: 19 January 1868, Port Melbourne, Victoria
Scotch: 1883-85
Scotch cricket: 1st XI 1883, 1884 and 1885
Died: 15 June 1907, South Melbourne, Victoria
Debut Test: MCG, 1-6 January 1892
Final Test: Manchester, 24-26 August 1893
Tests: 6
Runs: 146
Average: 13.27
High score: 31
Wickets: 12
Average: 31.83
Best: 6/92
Of note: Bob’s 131 against Melbourne Grammar School in 1885 was the first century scored by a Scotchie in APS cricket; brother of Charlie (below)
Bowler: Charles Edward McLeod
Born: 24 October 1869, Port Melbourne, Victoria
Scotch: 1884-88
Scotch cricket: 1st XI 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887 and 1888
Died: 26 November 1918, Armadale, Victoria
Debut Test: Sydney, 14–20 December 1894
Final Test: The Oval,14–16 August 1905
Tests: 17
Runs: 573
Average: 23.87
High score: 112
Wickets: 33
Average: 40.15
Best: 5/65
Of note: Debuted with fellow Old Boy Joe Darling, and as an opener partnered by Darling on New Year’s Day scored 112; brother of Bob (above)
Bowler: Gervys Alexander Hazlitt
Born: 4 September 1888, Enfield, New South Wales
Scotch: 1897-98 (left to Haileybury College, 1899-1906)
Died: 30 October 1915, Parramatta, New South Wales
Debut Test: Sydney, 13–19 December 1907
Final Test: The Oval, 19–22 August 1912
Tests: 9
Runs: 89
Average: 11.12
High score: 34 n.o.
Wickets: 23
Average: 27.08
Best: 7/73
Of note: Born as Gervys Alexander Hazlett Hannay, he entered Scotch as Gervys Alexander Hanna, was known as Gerry, and was only ‘discovered’ as a Scotch Test cricketer in 2010
Bowler: Albert Ernest Victor Hartkopf
Born: 28 December 1889, South Fitzroy
Scotch: 1897-1909
Scotch cricket: 1st XI 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908 and1909
Died: 20 May 1968, Kew, Victoria
Debut (and only) Test: MCG, 1–8 January 1925
Tests: 1
Runs: 80
Average: 80
High score: 80
Wickets: 1
Average: 1/134
Best: 1/134
Of note: The most times by any boy in the Scotch 1st XI; picked as a bowler in his only Test
Keeper: Benjamin Arthur Barnett AM
Born: 23 March 1908, Auburn, Victoria
Scotch: 1923-25
Scotch cricket: 1st XI 1924 and 1925
Died: 29 June 1979, Newcastle, New South Wales
Debut Test: Nottingham, 10–14 June 1938
Final Test: The Oval, 20-24 August 1938
Tests: 4
Runs: 195
Average: 27.85
High score: 57
Catches: 3
Stumpings: 2
Of note: Toured England as reserve keeper for the 1934 Test team; serving in the AIF from 1940-45, Ben was a prisoner of war of the Japanese in Changi and on the Burma Railway
