George Lohmann

George Lohmann
Lohmann c. 1895
Personal information
Full name
George Alfred Lohmann
Born(1865-06-02)2 June 1865
Kensington, Middlesex, England
Died1 December 1901(1901-12-01) (aged 36)
Worcester, British Cape Colony
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm medium-fast
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 51)5 July 1886 v Australia
Last Test24 June 1896 v Australia
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1884–1896Surrey
1894–1897Western Province
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class
Matches 18 293
Runs scored 213 7,247
Batting average 8.87 18.67
100s/50s 0/1 3/29
Top score 62* 115
Balls bowled 3,830 71,724
Wickets 112 1,841
Bowling average 10.75 13.73
5 wickets in innings 9 176
10 wickets in match 5 57
Best bowling 9/28 9/28
Catches/stumpings 28/– 337/–
Source: Cricinfo, 1 October 2009

George Alfred Lohmann (2 June 1865 – 1 December 1901) was an English cricketer, regarded as one of the greatest bowlers of all time.[1] Statistically, he holds the lowest lifetime Test bowling average among bowlers with more than fifteen wickets and he has the second highest peak rating for a bowler in the ICC ratings. He also holds the record for the lowest strike rate (balls bowled between each wicket taken) in all Test history.

He bowled at around medium pace and on English pitches of his time could gain spin, so that when rain affected the pitch he was unplayable. Against the best batsmen, too, Lohmann possessed skill and guile, and he could vary his pace, flight and break deceptively, so as to worry batsmen on better pitches. He was the finest slip fielder of his time and in county cricket a hard-hitting batsman who scored two centuries for Surrey and averaged 25 in 1887.

In 2016, Lohmann was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.[2]

  1. ^ Frindall, Bill (2009). Ask Bearders. BBC Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-1-84607-880-4.
  2. ^ Cricinfo (2 January 2009). "ICC and FICA launch Cricket Hall of Fame". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 July 2019.