Hugh MacNeil (26 October 1860 – 14 September 1924) was a New Zealand cricketer, golfer and businessman.

Hugh MacNeil
Hugh MacNeil (left) and the Rev. W. Maconochie, Sydney golf champions, 1898
Personal information
Born(1860-10-26)26 October 1860
Glasgow, Scotland
Died14 September 1924(1924-09-14) (aged 63)
Townsville, Australia
BattingRight-handed
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1877/78–1893/94Otago
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 8
Runs scored 167
Batting average 10.43
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 58
Balls bowled 717
Wickets 17
Bowling average 13.53
5 wickets in innings 1
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/25
Catches/stumpings 7/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 15 January 2018

Life and business career

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Hugh MacNeil was born at Glasgow in 1860, his parents' second son. The family migrated to Dunedin in New Zealand in 1865. He was educated at Otago Boys' High School and Christ's College, Christchurch.[1][2]

His father, also Hugh MacNeil, founded the retail company Briscoe and Co. Young Hugh spent his working career with the company, eventually becoming the governing director for Australia and New Zealand.[1] He married Ellie Rutherford in Sydney in November 1884.[3]

Cricket career

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MacNeil played eight first-class matches for Otago between the 1877–78 and 1893–94 seasons.[4] He made his highest score in the match against Canterbury in 1882–83, when he top-scored in each innings for Otago with 58 and 24, as well as taking four wickets. Otago nevertheless lost by four runs.[5] He took his best first-class bowling figures of 6 for 25 to dismiss the visiting Tasmanians for 40 in 1883–84 and set up Otago's victory.[6]

MacNeil achieved his greatest performances in two non-first-class matches against touring Australian teams, when Otago fielded 22 players against the Australians' 11. Against the 1877–78 Australians, when he was 17 years old, he made the highest score on either side with 28 in a low-scoring draw.[7] He repeated the feat in 1880-81, this time with 44 in the second innings, and also took 5 for 28 with the ball in the Australians' first innings. This time the Australians won, by 44 runs.[8] For making the highest score in the match he received a trophy valued at ten guineas.[9]

Golf career

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MacNeil won the New Zealand Amateur golf championship in 1894 and was runner-up in 1896 and 1900.[10][11][12] After moving to Australia he won the New South Wales Amateur Championship in 1898 and 1899. In 1902 he won the Australian Amateur championship.[13] The 1902 Victorian Amateur Championship was played concurrently with the Australian Amateur, so that he also became the Victorian Amateur Champion.[14] He represented New South Wales in the Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches in 1904, 1905 and 1908.[15] He was a life member of Royal Sydney Golf Club.[16]

Death

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After suffering from bronchial ailments for some time, MacNeil took a trip to Queensland in the hope the climate would help him recuperate, but he died in Townsville at the age of 63. He had been retired for several years.[1][4]

He and his wife had two daughters and two sons.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Mr Hugh MacNeil". Otago Daily Times. No. 19279. 17 September 1924. p. 8. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  2. ^ McCarron A (2010) New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010, p. 87. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. ISBN 978 1 905138 98 2 (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 5 June 2023.)
  3. ^ "Marriages". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. 29 November 1884. p. 1124.
  4. ^ a b "Hugh MacNeil". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Canterbury v Otago 1882-83". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Otago v Tasmanians 1883-84". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Otago v Australians 1877-78". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Otago v Australians 1880-81". CricketArchive. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  9. ^ "The Australians in New Zealand". Star (3983): 3. 25 January 1881. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  10. ^ "New Zealand Amateur Champions". Te Ara. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  11. ^ "The New Zealand championship golf tournament". Otago Daily Times. No. 10607. 26 September 1896. p. 5. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Papers Past.
  12. ^ "Golf". New Zealand Herald. Vol. XXXVII, no. 11376. 19 May 1900. p. 7. Retrieved 1 November 2020 – via Papers Past.
  13. ^ "Death of Mr Hugh MacNeil". Referee. 17 September 1924. p. 13. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  14. ^ "Amateur championships of Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 20142. New South Wales, Australia. 30 September 1902. p. 4. Retrieved 21 January 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Full Results – Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches" (PDF). Golf Australia. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Death of Mr Hugh MacNeil". Sydney Morning Herald. 16 September 1924. p. 8. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
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