James Lawrence (New Zealand cricketer)

A "small, thin and wiry" batsman,R.T. Brittenden, Great Days in New Zealand Cricket, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1958, p. 28. Lawrence made his first-class debut in 1891-92, but scored only 27 runs in his first four matches over two seasons.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22292/f_Batting_by_Season.html James Lawrence batting by season]

In Canterbury's first match of the 1893-94 season, Lawrence opened the batting for the first time. Auckland batted first and were dismissed for 157. At 2.45 on the first day Lawrence and Len Cuff went to the wicket to open for Canterbury, and when a short tea interval was taken three hours later both men had scored centuries. Cuff was out to the last ball of the day, making the Canterbury score at stumps 306 for one wicket, scored in three and a half hours of play.Auckland Star, 6 January 1894, p. 5. Cuff's 176 set a new record for New Zealand first-class cricket, beating George Watson's 175 in 1880-81. Lawrence was out early the next day for 167. Cuff's and Lawrence's centuries were only the fourth and fifth in the 30-year history of New Zealand first-class cricket. Their partnership was the highest partnership in New Zealand first-class cricket, and it remained the first-wicket record for New Zealand for 57 years.Wisden 1955, p. 928. William Robertson took 14 wickets on his first-class debut, and Canterbury won the match by an innings and 156 runs.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4068.html Canterbury v Auckland 1893-94]

Lawrence (along with Cuff and Robertson) was selected in New Zealand's first match, against New South Wales a month later, but Lawrence made only 6 and 3 and New Zealand lost.{{cite web |title=New Zealand v New South Wales, Lancaster Park, Christchurch on 15th, 16th, 17th February 1894 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4078.html |website=CricketArchive |access-date=7 January 2025 |url-access=subscription}}

Lawrence scored only one more fifty in the next 12 seasons. However, in 1906-07, his last season, he scored 289 runs at an average of 36.12 – more runs than any other New Zealand batsman.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/Seasonal_Averages/NZ/1906-07_f_Batting_by_Average.html 1906-07 batting averages] He made 61 and 37 not out in a victory for Canterbury over MCC and 60 and 26 not out in a victory over Wellington, and was selected to open for New Zealand in the two-match series against MCC, which were his last two first-class matches. He scored 18 and 51 in the first match, putting on 112 for the first wicket with Ned Sale,[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7208.html New Zealand v MCC, Christchurch 1906-07] and his career ended a few days later on his 40th birthday when New Zealand beat MCC by 56 runs in Wellington to square the series.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/7/7210.html New Zealand v MCC, Wellington 1906-07]

He later coached the cricket team at Christ's College, Christchurch,Greg Ryan, "When the Game Was Played by Decent Chaps", PhD thesis, University of Canterbury, 1996, p. 262. while he worked as the Christchurch manager for the New Zealand drug company Sharland and Co.{{cite journal|last1="Touchline"|title=Cricket: A Bit of History|journal=The New Zealand Free Lance|date=27 December 1913|page= 9|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/free-lance/1913/12/27/19|accessdate=15 March 2017}}

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Category:1867 births

Category:1946 deaths

Category:New Zealand cricketers

Category:Pre-1930 New Zealand representative cricketers

Category:Canterbury cricketers