Jim Phillips
Encyclopedia
James Phillips was a Victoria
n First-class cricket
er and Test match umpire.
He did not play his first first-class match until 1885/86, and altogether played 124 matches for Canterbury
, Middlesex
and Victoria
between 1885/86 and 1898/99 as a right-hand batsman and right-arm medium bowler. He scored 1827 runs at an average of 12.59 with a highest score of 110 not out, and took 355 wickets at an average of 20.00 with best figures of 8 for 69. Seven times he took 10 or more wickets in a match. He also took 50 catches. As a player and umpire he travelled between Australia and England, following the cricket seasons. Middlesex valued his contribution so highly that he was given a benefit match, Australia v. Middlesex, in 1899. He was also able to help Australian players, such as Albert Trott
find jobs and play cricket in England. For a while he coached in Christchurch
, New Zealand and played first-class cricket for Canterbury
.
Phillips umpired a total of 29 Test matches
. His first match was between Australia
and England
in Melbourne
on 21 March 1885 to 25 March 1885, comfortably won by England by an innings and 98 runs. His colleague was George Hodges
, standing in his only Test match.
He umpired 13 Test matches in Australia, including all 5 in the 1894/95 and the 1897/98 series against England. He also umpired 11 matches in England against Australian touring sides, including all 3 in 1896, and 4 out of 5 in 1905. His last matches were the 5 played in South Africa
against England in 1905/06. Thus he can claim to be the first genuinely "international" Test umpire.
According to Pollard 'Dimboola Jim' Phillips was "a fearless umpire who was largely responsible for stamping out throwing around the turn of the [20th] century … establishing an international reputation for acumen and honesty." Amongst the bowlers called for throwing by Phillips were Australian Test players Ernie Jones
and Tom McKibbin
. Jones was first no-balled in a match between South Australia and the visiting English side in 1897/98. Phillips again no-balled him once in the 2nd Test of that series, Jones thus becoming the first bowler to be called for throwing in a Test match. The selectors omitted Jack Saunders
from the 1905 team to tour England because it was feared that Phillips would no-ball him for throwing. Wisden
blamed English umpires for the problem, claiming that "Australian bowlers never threw in England until we had shown them over and over again that [the Law] could be broken with impunity." Phillips' actions, including the no-balling of the English amateur champion C. B. Fry, led to a meeting of County captains in 1900, which recommended that nine regular bowlers not be used in the following season.
In the first Test match of 1897/98 Phillips controversially gave Charlie McLeod
run out. McLeod was bowled by a no-ball but, because of his deafness, did not hear the call. He left the wicket, believing he was out, and a fieldsman pulled out a stump and appealed. Under present-day Laws McLeod would be given 'not out' as he had "left his wicket under a misapprehension that he [was] out'. (Dean Jones
suffered a similar fate in the West Indies).
When smoke from bushfires made visibility difficult at Melbourne in the 4th Test of the 1897/98 series, the English captain claimed that play should cease because of bad light. Umpire Phillips was unimpressed, saying that "if that light was bad, then cricket had better be given up entirely at Bramall Lane
, Bradford
, and Old Trafford
." An English player remarked that Australia was the only place where the country was set alight just to win a cricket match.
On retirement, Phillips became a mining engineer and is reputed to have made a fortune in North America.
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
n First-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
er and Test match umpire.
He did not play his first first-class match until 1885/86, and altogether played 124 matches for Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
and Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
between 1885/86 and 1898/99 as a right-hand batsman and right-arm medium bowler. He scored 1827 runs at an average of 12.59 with a highest score of 110 not out, and took 355 wickets at an average of 20.00 with best figures of 8 for 69. Seven times he took 10 or more wickets in a match. He also took 50 catches. As a player and umpire he travelled between Australia and England, following the cricket seasons. Middlesex valued his contribution so highly that he was given a benefit match, Australia v. Middlesex, in 1899. He was also able to help Australian players, such as Albert Trott
Albert Trott
Albert Trott was a Test cricketer for both Australia and England. He was named as one of Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1899. He remains the only batsman who has struck a ball over the top of the Lord's pavilion...
find jobs and play cricket in England. For a while he coached in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand and played first-class cricket for Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
.
Phillips umpired a total of 29 Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
. His first match was between Australia
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
and England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 21 March 1885 to 25 March 1885, comfortably won by England by an innings and 98 runs. His colleague was George Hodges
George Hodges (umpire)
George James Hodges was a Test match umpire. He officiated in one match between Australia and England in Melbourne on 21 March 1885 to 25 March 1885, comfortably won by England by an innings and 98 runs...
, standing in his only Test match.
He umpired 13 Test matches in Australia, including all 5 in the 1894/95 and the 1897/98 series against England. He also umpired 11 matches in England against Australian touring sides, including all 3 in 1896, and 4 out of 5 in 1905. His last matches were the 5 played in South Africa
South African cricket team
The South African national cricket team represent South Africa in international cricket. They are administrated by Cricket South Africa.South Africa is a full member of the International Cricket Council, also known as ICC, with Test and One Day International, or ODI, status...
against England in 1905/06. Thus he can claim to be the first genuinely "international" Test umpire.
According to Pollard 'Dimboola Jim' Phillips was "a fearless umpire who was largely responsible for stamping out throwing around the turn of the [20th] century … establishing an international reputation for acumen and honesty." Amongst the bowlers called for throwing by Phillips were Australian Test players Ernie Jones
Ernie Jones
Ernest Jones was an Australian sportsman, playing Test cricket and Australian rules football....
and Tom McKibbin
Tom McKibbin
Thomas Robert McKibbin was an Australian cricketer who played in 5 Tests from 1895 to 1898....
. Jones was first no-balled in a match between South Australia and the visiting English side in 1897/98. Phillips again no-balled him once in the 2nd Test of that series, Jones thus becoming the first bowler to be called for throwing in a Test match. The selectors omitted Jack Saunders
Jack Saunders
John Victor Saunders was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Tests from 1902 to 1908....
from the 1905 team to tour England because it was feared that Phillips would no-ball him for throwing. Wisden
Wisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
blamed English umpires for the problem, claiming that "Australian bowlers never threw in England until we had shown them over and over again that [the Law] could be broken with impunity." Phillips' actions, including the no-balling of the English amateur champion C. B. Fry, led to a meeting of County captains in 1900, which recommended that nine regular bowlers not be used in the following season.
In the first Test match of 1897/98 Phillips controversially gave Charlie McLeod
Charlie McLeod
Charles Edward McLeod was an Australian cricketer who played in 17 Tests from 1894 to 1902. His brother, Bob, also played cricket for Australia....
run out. McLeod was bowled by a no-ball but, because of his deafness, did not hear the call. He left the wicket, believing he was out, and a fieldsman pulled out a stump and appealed. Under present-day Laws McLeod would be given 'not out' as he had "left his wicket under a misapprehension that he [was] out'. (Dean Jones
Dean Jones (cricketer)
Dean Mervyn Jones AM is a retired Australian cricketer, and is presently a coach. He also worked as a media commentator.-Career:...
suffered a similar fate in the West Indies).
When smoke from bushfires made visibility difficult at Melbourne in the 4th Test of the 1897/98 series, the English captain claimed that play should cease because of bad light. Umpire Phillips was unimpressed, saying that "if that light was bad, then cricket had better be given up entirely at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
, Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, and Old Trafford
Old Trafford (cricket)
Old Trafford is a cricket ground situated on Talbot Road in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. It has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since its foundation in 1864, having been the ground of Manchester Cricket Club from 1857...
." An English player remarked that Australia was the only place where the country was set alight just to win a cricket match.
On retirement, Phillips became a mining engineer and is reputed to have made a fortune in North America.