James Liddle

{{short description|South African cricketer}}

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

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = James Liddle

| image =

| country = South Africa

| fullname = James Richard Liddle

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|6|18|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Port Elizabeth, Cape Province, South Africa

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1959|1|15|1930|6|18|df=yes}}

| death_place = Cape Town, Cape Province

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Slow left-arm orthodox

| role =

| club1 = Eastern Province

| year1 = 1949–50

| club2 = Orange Free State

| year2 = 1950–51 to 1954–55

| club3 = Western Province

| year3 = 1955–56 to 1956–57

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 38

| runs1 = 692

| bat avg1 = 14.41

| 100s/50s1 = 0/2

| top score1 = 77

| deliveries1 = 11,116

| wickets1 = 181

| bowl avg1 = 23.50

| fivefor1 = 10

| tenfor1 = 5

| best bowling1 = 7/72

| catches/stumpings1 = 16/0

| date = 17 August 2017

| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/13/13932/13932.html CricketArchive

}}

James Richard Liddle (18 June 1930 – 15 January 1959) was a South African cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1949 to 1956.

While at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, Liddle played in the South African Schools team in 1946, 1947 and 1948.{{cite news| work=School Sports News | accessdate=25 September 2015| title= Most individual SA Schools caps |url=http://www.schoolsportsnews.co.za/cricket/most-individual-sa-schools-caps|date=12 December 2012}} A left-arm spin bowler, he played three matches for Eastern Province in the 1949–50 season, taking nine wickets, including 3 for 97 when the Australians scored 418 on the opening day of their tour match.{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19162.html | title = Eastern Province v Australians 1949–50 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 25 September 2015}}

In the 1951–52, now playing for Orange Free State, he took 40 wickets at an average of 16.65{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/Seasonal_Averages/RSA/1951-52_f_Bowling_by_Average.html| title = First-class bowling in South Africa in 1951–52 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 25 September 2015}} and made 204 runs at 25.50.{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/Seasonal_Averages/RSA/1951-52_f_Batting_by_Average.html| title = First-class batting and fielding in South Africa in 1951–52 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 25 September 2015}} In the second match of the season he took 7 for 97 and 5 for 115 and made 31 and 77 against Rhodesia{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/20/20013.html| title = Rhodesia v Orange Free State 1951–52 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 25 September 2015}} and in the last match he took 7 for 93 and 4 for 46 against Griqualand West.{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/20/20078.html| title = Orange Free State v Griqualand West 1951–52 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 25 September 2015}} However, the more experienced Percy Mansell of Rhodesia, who made 571 runs at 43.92 and took 52 wickets at 17.63 and was also an experts slips fieldsman, was chosen ahead of Liddle as the second spin bowler for the tour to Australia and New Zealand in 1952–53.

In 1955–56 he moved to Western Province. He was their most successful bowler in their victory in the Currie Cup that season, taking 31 wickets in six matches at an average of 18.83.{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/3/Currie_Cup_1955-56/Western_Province_Bowling.html| title = Currie Cup 1955–56, Western Province bowling | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 17 August 2017}} He took 7 for 72 and 3 for 64 against Transvaal at Cape Town in the first match,{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/21/21824.html | title = Western Province v Transvaal 1955–56 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 17 August 2017}} and 5 for 132 and 6 for 60, also at Cape Town, against Natal later in the season.{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/21/21852.html | title = Western Province v Natal 1955–56 | publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate = 17 August 2017}} He was one of the South African Cricket Annual Cricketers of the Year for 1956.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/Overall/South_African_Cricket_Annual_Cricketers_of_the_Year.html South African Cricket Annual Cricketers of the Year]

After a few matches in 1956–57 he succumbed to illness, and died in 1959 aged 28.Wisden 1960, pp. 953–54.