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James Aitchison (cricketer)

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James Aitchison
Personal information
Full name
James Aitchison
Born(1920-05-26)26 May 1920
Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
Died13 February 1994(1994-02-13) (aged 73)
Glasgow
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1946–1963Scotland
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 50
Runs scored 2,786
Batting average 32.77
100s/50s 5/13
Top score 190*
Balls bowled 18
Wickets 0
Bowling average
5 wickets in innings
10 wickets in match
Best bowling
Catches/stumpings 22/–
Source: CricInfo, 19 March 2017

James Aitchison (26 May 1920 – 13 February 1994) was a Scottish minister in the Church of Scotland and a first-class cricketer.

Career

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Only two other players have appeared more times in first class cricket for Scotland, and Aitchison holds the team's record for most career runs and highest individual score.[1] In the match against Ireland in 1959 he batted throughout the first day to make 190 not out.[2] He scored centuries against two touring Test playing nations, 106 not out in a team score of 177 against the 1947 South Africans and nine years later struck 100 against the Australians.[3] In club cricket for Kilmarnock he made 18,344 runs with 56 centuries.

Aitchison served as a minister in the Church of Scotland for 34 years until his retirement in 1986.[4] During his career he took on a divinity student to help her learn whilst he was minister of Broomhill in Glasgow. The Reverend Euphemia Irvine was to be the first woman to lead a parish in Scotland.[5] In 2011 he was one of the twelve initial inductees into the Scottish Cricket Hall of Fame.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Scotland first-class cricket statistics
  2. ^ Ireland v Scotland 1959
  3. ^ Davison, Jack (26 May 2020). "The Scottish reverend revered by Aussie cricket legend for 'truly great' century". The Scotsman. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  4. ^ Wisden 1995, p. 1378.
  5. ^ "Obituary - Effie Irvine, pioneering minister and the first woman to be ordained and inducted to a Church of Scotland parish". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  6. ^ Scottish cricket launches Hall of Fame
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James Aitchison at ESPNcricinfo