Billy Zulch

{{Short description|South African cricketer (1886–1924)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Billy Zulch

| image = File:JW Zulch.jpg

| caption =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium

| columns = 2

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 16

| runs1 = 985

| bat avg1 = 32.83

| 100s/50s1 = 2/4

| top score1 = 150

| deliveries1 = 24

| wickets1 = 0

| bowl avg1 = –

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = –

| catches/stumpings1= 4/–

| column2 = First-class

| matches2 = 53

| runs2 = 3,556

| bat avg2 = 41.83

| 100s/50s2 = 9/17

| top score2 = 185

| deliveries2 = 210

| wickets2 = 5

| bowl avg2 = 24.40

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 3/28

| catches/stumpings2= 19/–

| international = true

| country = South Africa

| testdebutagainst = England

| testdebutdate = 1 January

| testdebutyear = 1910

| lasttestdate = 26 November

| lasttestagainst = Australia

| lasttestyear = 1921

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/325/325.html CricketArchive

| date = 13 November

| year = 2022

| birth_date = January 2, 1886

| death_date = {{death date and age|1924|5|19|1886|1|2}}

}}

Johan Wilhelm Zulch (2 January 1886 – 19 May 1924) was a South African international cricketer who played 16 Test matches for South Africa between 1910 and 1921.

Zulch was born in Lydenburg, Transvaal. His cricket career was interrupted by World War I, but he still managed 985 Test runs at an average of 32.83, with two Test centuries — both against Australia on his first overseas tour in 1910–11.

His 105 came in the only Test South Africa won on that tour. Zulch batted for three hours, and a hundred from Tip Snooke then boosted South Africa to 482; and, despite 214 from Australian batsman Victor Trumper, and a relative failure from Zulch with 14 in the second innings, South Africa went on to win by 38 runs.

In the 2nd Test (1921) against Australia at Old Wanderers in Johannesburg, Australian fast bowler Ted McDonald dismissed Zulch by breaking his bat so that fragments flew back to dislodge a bail, and the Zulch was given out, "hit wicket".[http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1920S/1921-22/AUS_IN_RSA/AUS_RSA_T2_12-16NOV1921.html 2nd TEST: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg, 12-16 Nov 1921] at www.cricinfo.comThe MCC have clarified this situation though, and in fact nowadays a batsman should not be given out if a splinter, or part of his bat, breaks the wicket, as it must be his whole bat that breaks the wicket. {{cite web |url=http://www.lords.org/data/files/law_35_qanda-9683.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2007-01-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061212024456/http://www.lords.org/data/files/law_35_qanda-9683.pdf |archivedate=2006-12-12 }}

He died in 1924, in Umkomaas, Natal, following a nervous breakdown.