Robert Poore
Encyclopedia
Robert Montagu Poore DSO
, CIE
(20 March 1866 in Dublin, Ireland
– 14 July 1938 in Boscombe
, Bournemouth
, England
) was a cricket
er and British army officer who, whilst serving in South Africa
in 1896, played in three Tests
for the South African cricket team
. Much of his cricket was played when he held the rank of Major, but he eventually became a Brigadier-General. "Of all the people in the history of the game," wrote Leo Cooper in an introduction to AA Thomson's Odd Men In, "he seems to stand for the Eccentric Ideal."
In 1899
, Poore became the most fertile run-scorer in all of England
, hitting 1,399 runs (including seven hundreds) between 12 June and 12 August at an average of 116.58. Against Somerset
he made 304 not out and with fellow Army officer Captain Wynyard
shared in a stand of over 400 for the sixth wicket - still the highest for that wicket in county cricket. In 21 innings over the course of the entire season, Poore managed 1,551 runs at 91.23, a record for an English season not broken until Don Bradman averaged 98.66 in 1930. Poore was rewarded with selection as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
After 1899, Poore returned to South Africa to fight in the Boer War
. A broken arm caused him to miss most of 1902 after he was back in England but he showed he retained his former skill with a superb innings of 62 not out against Hugh Trumble
on a sticky wicket and it was hoped Major Poore would be available again in 1903. However, he went to India during that summer and when he finally returned to Hampshire in the middle of 1904 to great expectations Poore was exceptionally disappointing. Although there were few difficult pitches in the nine games he played, he averaged under twenty and only once (on a bad wicket against Sussex
) did he show the skill that allowed him to dominate bowlers in 1899. In 1905 he again could not play at all, but he rejoined the team against Derbyshire in 1906 and in two matches scored 232 runs including 129 against Sussex, but another injury ended his season and as it turned out, his county career.
In spite of his impressive success, Poore was not yet overly enamoured with the game, which he had learnt not through classical coaching but the perusal of textbooks; certainly, it was not the only field in which his prodigious talents lay: he was a first-rate swordsman, shot and polo player, and once won the West of India lawn tennis championship. Not until, as a subaltern, he visited India with the 7th Hussars
did he realise his love for cricket, a love that he sustained all through his life. Poore remained a dangerous batsman in club games right up to his mid-fifties, and played first-class cricket in India as late as 1913.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, CIE
Order of the Indian Empire
The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
(20 March 1866 in Dublin, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
– 14 July 1938 in Boscombe
Boscombe
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth. Located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne, It developed rapidly from a small village as a seaside resort alongside Bournemouth after the first Boscombe pier was built in 1888...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) was a 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 and British army officer who, whilst serving in South Africa
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...
in 1896, played in three 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...
for the South African cricket team
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...
. Much of his cricket was played when he held the rank of Major, but he eventually became a Brigadier-General. "Of all the people in the history of the game," wrote Leo Cooper in an introduction to AA Thomson's Odd Men In, "he seems to stand for the Eccentric Ideal."
In 1899
1899 English cricket season
In the 1899 English cricket season, Surrey won the County Championship for the first time in four years, and the title turned out to be their last until 1914. Surrey's season was dominated by draws, with fourteen out of 26 games drawn, just like the season in general - especially the Australian...
, Poore became the most fertile run-scorer in all of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, hitting 1,399 runs (including seven hundreds) between 12 June and 12 August at an average of 116.58. Against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
he made 304 not out and with fellow Army officer Captain Wynyard
Teddy Wynyard
Edward George Wynyard was an English cricketer who played in 3 Tests from 1896 to 1906.He captained Hampshire County Cricket Club between 1896 and 1899....
shared in a stand of over 400 for the sixth wicket - still the highest for that wicket in county cricket. In 21 innings over the course of the entire season, Poore managed 1,551 runs at 91.23, a record for an English season not broken until Don Bradman averaged 98.66 in 1930. Poore was rewarded with selection as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
After 1899, Poore returned to South Africa to fight in the Boer War
Boer War
The Boer Wars were two wars fought between the British Empire and the two independent Boer republics, the Oranje Vrijstaat and the Republiek van Transvaal ....
. A broken arm caused him to miss most of 1902 after he was back in England but he showed he retained his former skill with a superb innings of 62 not out against Hugh Trumble
Hugh Trumble
Hugh Trumble was an Australian cricketer who played 32 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1890 and 1904. He captained the Australian team in two Tests, winning both. Trumble took 141 wickets in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of...
on a sticky wicket and it was hoped Major Poore would be available again in 1903. However, he went to India during that summer and when he finally returned to Hampshire in the middle of 1904 to great expectations Poore was exceptionally disappointing. Although there were few difficult pitches in the nine games he played, he averaged under twenty and only once (on a bad wicket against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
) did he show the skill that allowed him to dominate bowlers in 1899. In 1905 he again could not play at all, but he rejoined the team against Derbyshire in 1906 and in two matches scored 232 runs including 129 against Sussex, but another injury ended his season and as it turned out, his county career.
In spite of his impressive success, Poore was not yet overly enamoured with the game, which he had learnt not through classical coaching but the perusal of textbooks; certainly, it was not the only field in which his prodigious talents lay: he was a first-rate swordsman, shot and polo player, and once won the West of India lawn tennis championship. Not until, as a subaltern, he visited India with the 7th Hussars
7th Queen's Own Hussars
The 7th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first formed in 1690. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Own Hussars in 1958....
did he realise his love for cricket, a love that he sustained all through his life. Poore remained a dangerous batsman in club games right up to his mid-fifties, and played first-class cricket in India as late as 1913.