J. F. Byrne
{{Short description|English rugby union footballer and cricketer (1871–1954)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = J. F. Byrne
| image = JF Byrne.jpg
| country = England
| fullname = James Frederick Byrne
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1871|6|19|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Penns, Warwickshire, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1954|5|10|1871|6|19|df=yes}}
| death_place = Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm fast-medium
| role = All-rounder
| club1 = Warwickshire
| year1 = {{nowrap|1897–1912}}
| columns = 1
| column1 = First-class
| matches1 = 140
| runs1 = 4,766
| bat avg1 = 22.80
| 100s/50s1 = 4/23
| top score1 = 222
| deliveries1 = 3,676
| wickets1 = 74
| bowl avg1 = 30.37
| fivefor1 = 1
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 5/37
| catches/stumpings1 = 81/–
| date = 16 November
| year = 2022
| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Players/28/28386/28386.html CricketArchive
}}
James Frederick Byrne (19 June 1871 – 10 May 1954) was a sportsman who captained Warwickshire at first-class cricket and was capped in rugby for both England and the British and Irish Lions.
Cricket career
Byrne made a century on debut, in his maiden first-class innings, against Leicestershire at Edgbaston in 1897.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4795.html|title=Warwickshire v Leicestershire 1897| publisher=CricketArchive}} He finished the summer with 642 runs at 33.78 from 12 matches and although he scored 943 runs at 21.93 in 1905, the effort in his debut season was perhaps better as he played considerably less matches.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/28/28386/f_Batting_by_Season.html|title=First-class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by James Byrne| publisher=CricketArchive}}
A hard-hitting batsman, Byrne was captain of Warwickshire from 1903 to 1907 and it was during this time that he had most success with the ball. He took 31 wickets at 24.54 in 1904 and 22 wickets at 28.95 in 1905.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/28/28386/f_Bowling_by_Season.html|title=First-class Bowling in Each Season by James Byrne| publisher=CricketArchive}} Earlier, in 1902, Byrne had the distinction of claiming the wicket of W. G. Grace twice in one match, when the England great was playing for London County against Warwickshire at Crystal Palace.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6080.html|title=London County v Warwickshire 1902| publisher=CricketArchive}}
Byrne represented the Gentlemen cricket team in a 1905 fixture of the Gentlemen v Players matches. He scored 24 and 10 in his two innings, dismissed by John Gunn on both occasions.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6800.html|title=Gentlemen v Players 1905| publisher=CricketArchive}} He made his highest score of 222 when he opened the batting with Sep Kinneir, against Lancashire at Edgbaston. Kinnear scored a century as well and the pair put on a club record 333.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/6/6717.html|title=Warwickshire v Lancashire 1905| publisher=CricketArchive}}
Warwickshire broke through for their inaugural County Championship in 1911 and Byrne was a member of their squad that year, although he only participated in one match. His contribution came in a match against Hampshire, as captain no less, scoring 64 in his only innings as Warwickshire won by an innings and 296 runs.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8476.html|title=Warwickshire v Hampshire 1911| publisher=CricketArchive}} His appearances for Warwickshire had been sporadic since 1907 with only one first-class match in 1908, none in 1909 and two in 1910. The Hampshire fixture was the second last of his career and he played his final match in 1912.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Players/28/28386/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by James Byrne| publisher=CricketArchive}}
International rugby
Image:Moseley captain JF Byrne.jpeg
A full-back, Byrne played his initial rugby with Moseley, whom he captained. He had a safe pair of hands, considerable pace, could punt the ball long as was solid in defence. Often used as a place-kicker, Byrne was able to put the ball through the posts from the half-way mark of the ground.
Byrne appeared in 17 Test matches, 13 of them for England and the other four with the British Lions. His first cap was awarded in 1894 and his last in 1899, by which time he had accumulated 36 Test points.{{cite web|url=http://www.scrum.com/statsguru/rugby/player/1096.html?class=1;template=results;type=player;view=match|title=Statsguru/Player analysis/Fred Byrne/Test matches|publisher=Scrum.com}}
He took part in the 1896 British Lions tour to South Africa and played in all 21 games. The squad was dominated by Irish players and Byrne was the only England international. He scored 127 points all up and became the first player to top 100 points in a tour of South Africa. This record wasn't broken until the All-Blacks visited South Africa in 1960, by Don Clarke, who was incidentally also a first-class cricketer.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/player/1096.html|title=England/Players&Officials/Fred Byrne|publisher=Scrum.com}}
Byrne was England's captain in the 1898 Home Nations Championship, which included a draw against Scotland and a win over Wales.{{cite web|url=http://www.scrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/19022.html|title=Home Nations – Blackheath, 2 April 1898|publisher=Scrum.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.scrum.com/statsguru/rugby/match/19020.html|title=Home Nations – Edinburgh, 12 March 1898|publisher=Scrum.com}}
Family and later life
Some of Byrne's relatives also excelled at sports: his brother Francis was an England rugby international while a nephew, George Byrne, was a first-class cricketer, as was great-grandson Jonathan Perry.
{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/28/28386/28386.html |title=James Byrne |access-date=8 March 2009 |publisher=CricketArchive}}
Byrne's great-granddaughter Lavinia, is a noted former Roman Catholic nun.
Once his playing days were over, Byrne remained involved in sport as a member of both Warwickshire and Moseley's committees. Byrne, who fought in the Second Boer War, died in 1954, at the age of 82.{{cite web|url=http://www.moseleyrugby.co.uk/%5E%20CLUB_HISTORY/JFByrne.htm|title=J. F. BYRNE – An icon, a man of his generation|publisher=Moseley Rugby|access-date=8 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202091849/http://moseleyrugby.co.uk/%5E%20CLUB_HISTORY/JFByrne.htm|archive-date=2 February 2009|url-status=dead}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{cricinfo|id=10246}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{s-bef|before=Ernest William Taylor}}
{{s-ttl|title=English National Rugby Union Captain|years=1898}}
{{s-aft|after=Arthur Rotherham}}
{{s-end}}
{{English national rugby union team captains}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1896}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrne, J. F.}}
Category:Warwickshire cricketers
Category:Warwickshire cricket captains
Category:English rugby union players
Category:English people of Irish descent
Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England
Category:Birmingham Moseley Rugby players
Category:Rugby union fullbacks
Category:England international rugby union players