John Stuart Pollock (5 June 1920 – 1 February 2017) was an Irish first-class cricketer and cricket administrator.

Stuart Pollock
Personal information
Full name
John Stuart Pollock
Born5 June 1920
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died1 February 2017(2017-02-01) (aged 96)
Downpatrick, Northern Ireland
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm off break
RelationsWilliam Pollock (father)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1954–1957Marylebone Cricket Club
1939–1957Ireland
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 23
Runs scored 1,036
Batting average 25.26
100s/50s 1/4
Top score 129
Balls bowled 6
Wickets 0
Bowling average
5 wickets in innings
10 wickets in match
Best bowling
Catches/stumpings 17/–
Source: Cricinfo, 2 October 2018

Life and cricket

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Born at Belfast in June 1920, Pollock was the son of the cricketer William Pollock.[1] He was educated at Campbell College.[1]

Pollock made his debut in first-class cricket in 1939, when Ireland played Scotland at Dublin.[2]

He resumed playing first-class cricket after World War II, touring England in 1947 when he played in both first-class matches on the tour against Derbyshire and Yorkshire.[2] He featured in first-class cricket until 1958, playing a total of 23 matches; twenty of these came for Ireland, with Pollock also playing two matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club and one for the Free Foresters.[2] Recognised as one of the best batsman in Ireland during this period,[1] he scored 1,036 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 25.26, and a high score of 129, which was his only first-class century.[3] He played his club cricket for the North of Ireland Cricket Club,[1] who he played for into the 1960s, eventually retiring from playing due to a bad back.[4]

He remained active in Irish cricket following his retirement. He was President of the Irish Cricket Union in 1980, a role in which he was described as "much travelled, popular and successful."[1] Outside of cricket, Pollock was a competent golfer and squash player, and worked as director in the family timber business.[1][4]

Pollock died at Downpatrick in February 2017, and was at the time of his death the last surviving Irish cricketer to have played first-class cricket before the war.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Death of Stuart Pollock". CricketEurope. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "First-Class Matches played by Stuart Pollock". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Player profile: Stuart Pollock". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Stuart Pollock". www.theulstercricketer.com. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
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