Louis Tancred
Encyclopedia
Louis Joseph Tancred was a South Africa
n cricket
er who played in 14 Tests
from 1902 to 1913, including three as captain.
Born into a cricketing family in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tancred attended St Aidan’s College, Grahamstown
where, along with his brothers Bernard
and Vincent
, he began to show cricketing prowess. He made his first-class
debut for Transvaal
against Western Province on 24 March 1897, scoring 40 and 15. The next season, Tancred starred in the Currie Cup
, scoring 120 against Natal and averaging 36.12 for the season, placing him second in the batting averages.
His flourishing cricketing career was waylaid by the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War. Tancred served as a trooper with the Western Province Mounted Rifles and awarded the Queen’s Medal for bravery. While still serving in the war, Tancred was named in South Africa's touring team to England in 1901 and, after being excused from active service, Tancred joined his team mates on the boat to England. In England he played 16 first-class matches, scoring 591 runs at 21 but failed to play a Test.
Tancred eventually made his Test debut against Australia
on 11 October 1902 at Johannesburg, scoring 97 and 24. His 97 was the highest score by a South African on Test debut until Andrew Hudson
’s 163 against the West Indies in 1992.
Following the series against Australia, Tancred was chosen in the 1904 South African touring side to England. While there he heard of the suicide of his brother Vincent, who had reportedly been depressed over his non-selection in the team. Tancred went into seclusion for a few days before returning to the South African side to post some large scores late in the tour, including 250 against Scotland
.
During the 1904/05 South African season, Tancred became the first player to score 1000 runs in Currie Cup cricket and cemented himself as one of the leading players in the country. The next season, in the First Test at Old Wanderers at Johannesburg
, he was a member of the first South African team to defeat England in a Test.
In 1907 he was ill, missed the Currie Cup and initially ruled himself out of that year's tour of England but, as one of South Africa's top batsmen, he was selected anyway. He made a pair in his only Test of the tour.
In 1912 Tancred played in the Triangular Tournament between England, Australia and South Africa, including three matches as captain in the absence of the injured Frank Mitchell
. Tancred averaged only 20.29 during the tour and South Africa lost all three matches he captained. He played his final Test the next season, against England at Johannesburg, making 13 and 20 and finishing with 530 Test runs at an average of 21.20.
A dour opening batsman throughout most of his career, Wisden wrote “a feature of his batting is a peculiar crouch … (which is) … anything but graceful” and that Tancred was not a good bowler and “only an average field.”
While playing cricket, Tancred worked as the secretary for a range of sporting and social clubs, while anticipating a lucrative post-cricket job as promised by the wealthy businessmen who financed South African cricket in the early years of the twentieth century. This job did not eventuate and Tancred became despondent, more so in 1913 when he was forced to petition for insolvency after endorsing the promissory notes of a fellow cricketer, Frank Dickenson, who promptly disappeared.
Upon the outbreak of World War I
Tancred enlisted in the Natal Light Horse but was discharged as being unfit for active service in 1915. His marriage to Mary Chawick later that year produced two children and following a few post War matches Tancred retired from first-class cricket in 1920. It is believed that Tancred became depressed as he struggled to live life out of the limelight that surrounded his cricketing career. His disillusionment was such that Tancred strongly advised his son Louis Jnr not to embark on a career in sport. Louis Jnr instead joined the Royal Air Force
and, while working as a flight instructor, was killed aged 34 in a plane crash at the Isle of Axholme
, Lincolnshire
.
Tancred died in Parktown
, Transvaal
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played in 14 Tests
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...
from 1902 to 1913, including three as captain.
Born into a cricketing family in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tancred attended St Aidan’s College, Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
where, along with his brothers Bernard
Bernard Tancred
Augustus Bernard Tancred was a leading 19th century South African Test cricketer.Born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tancred attended St...
and Vincent
Vincent Tancred
Vincent Maximillian Tancred was a South African cricketer who played in one Test in 1899.Born into a cricketing family in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Tancred, along with his brothers Bernard and Louis, showed cricketing talent from a young age and began playing for the Pretoria based Union Club...
, he began to show cricketing prowess. He made his first-class
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...
debut for Transvaal
Transvaal cricket team
Gauteng cricket team is the first-class cricket team of the province of Gauteng in South Africa....
against Western Province on 24 March 1897, scoring 40 and 15. The next season, Tancred starred in the Currie Cup
SuperSport Series
The SuperSport Series is the main domestic first class cricket competition in South Africa, first contested in 1889-90. From 1990-91 it became known as the Castle Cup, and from 1996-97 by its current title...
, scoring 120 against Natal and averaging 36.12 for the season, placing him second in the batting averages.
His flourishing cricketing career was waylaid by the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War. Tancred served as a trooper with the Western Province Mounted Rifles and awarded the Queen’s Medal for bravery. While still serving in the war, Tancred was named in South Africa's touring team to England in 1901 and, after being excused from active service, Tancred joined his team mates on the boat to England. In England he played 16 first-class matches, scoring 591 runs at 21 but failed to play a Test.
Tancred eventually made his Test debut against 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...
on 11 October 1902 at Johannesburg, scoring 97 and 24. His 97 was the highest score by a South African on Test debut until Andrew Hudson
Andrew Hudson
Andrew Charles Hudson was a South African Test and ODI cricketer. The right-handed batsman played 35 Tests and 89 One Day Internationals for South Africa in the 1990s. His career spanned 16 consecutive summers, playing for both his country and his province KwaZulu-Natal...
’s 163 against the West Indies in 1992.
Following the series against Australia, Tancred was chosen in the 1904 South African touring side to England. While there he heard of the suicide of his brother Vincent, who had reportedly been depressed over his non-selection in the team. Tancred went into seclusion for a few days before returning to the South African side to post some large scores late in the tour, including 250 against Scotland
Scottish cricket team
The Scotland national cricket team represents Scotland in the game of cricket. They compete in the Clydesdale Bank 40 as the Scottish Saltires...
.
During the 1904/05 South African season, Tancred became the first player to score 1000 runs in Currie Cup cricket and cemented himself as one of the leading players in the country. The next season, in the First Test at Old Wanderers at Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, he was a member of the first South African team to defeat England in a Test.
In 1907 he was ill, missed the Currie Cup and initially ruled himself out of that year's tour of England but, as one of South Africa's top batsmen, he was selected anyway. He made a pair in his only Test of the tour.
In 1912 Tancred played in the Triangular Tournament between England, Australia and South Africa, including three matches as captain in the absence of the injured Frank Mitchell
Frank Mitchell
Frank Mitchell was a cricketer and rugby union player.-School, University and Yorkshire:...
. Tancred averaged only 20.29 during the tour and South Africa lost all three matches he captained. He played his final Test the next season, against England at Johannesburg, making 13 and 20 and finishing with 530 Test runs at an average of 21.20.
A dour opening batsman throughout most of his career, Wisden wrote “a feature of his batting is a peculiar crouch … (which is) … anything but graceful” and that Tancred was not a good bowler and “only an average field.”
While playing cricket, Tancred worked as the secretary for a range of sporting and social clubs, while anticipating a lucrative post-cricket job as promised by the wealthy businessmen who financed South African cricket in the early years of the twentieth century. This job did not eventuate and Tancred became despondent, more so in 1913 when he was forced to petition for insolvency after endorsing the promissory notes of a fellow cricketer, Frank Dickenson, who promptly disappeared.
Upon the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Tancred enlisted in the Natal Light Horse but was discharged as being unfit for active service in 1915. His marriage to Mary Chawick later that year produced two children and following a few post War matches Tancred retired from first-class cricket in 1920. It is believed that Tancred became depressed as he struggled to live life out of the limelight that surrounded his cricketing career. His disillusionment was such that Tancred strongly advised his son Louis Jnr not to embark on a career in sport. Louis Jnr instead joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and, while working as a flight instructor, was killed aged 34 in a plane crash at the Isle of Axholme
Isle of Axholme
The Isle of Axholme is part of North Lincolnshire, England. It is the only part of Lincolnshire west of the River Trent. It is between the three towns of Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Gainsborough.- Description:...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
.
Tancred died in Parktown
Parktown
Parktown is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, the first suburb north of the inner-city. It is affectionately known as one of the Parks, others including Parkview, Parkwood, Westcliff, Parktown North, Parkhurst and Forest Town...
, Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
.