Jim Phillips (cricketer)

Jim Phillips

Jim Phillips
Personal information
Full name	James Phillips
Born	(1860-09-01)1 September 1860 Pleasant Creek, Victoria, Australia
Died	21 April 1930(1930-04-21) (aged 69) Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm medium
Role	Umpire
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1885–1896	Victoria
1890–1898	Middlesex
1898–1899	Canterbury
Umpiring information
Tests umpired	29 (1885–1906)
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 124 Runs scored 1,827 Batting average 12.60 100s/50s 1/3 Top score 110 not out Balls bowled 16,890 Wickets 355 Bowling average 20.00 5 wickets in innings 30 10 wickets in match 7 Best bowling 8/69 Catches/stumpings 50/–
Source: CricketArchive, 8 September 2009

James Phillips (1 September 1860, Pleasant Creek, now Stawell, Victoria – 21 April 1930 at Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada) was a Victorian first-class cricketer 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.