Harry Boyle

For other people named Harry Boyle, see Harry Boyle (disambiguation).

Harry Boyle

File:Harry Boyle.png
Personal information
Full name	Henry Frederick Boyle
Born	(1847-12-10)10 December 1847 Sydney, New South Wales
Died	East Bendigo, Victoria
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling style	Right-arm medium
International information
National side	Australian
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class Matches 12 140 Runs scored 153 1711 Batting average 12.75 10.24 100s/50s 0/0 1/1 Top score 36* 108 Balls bowled 1743 16429 Wickets 32 370 Bowling average 20.03 15.38 5 wickets in innings 1 26 10 wickets in match 0 6 Best bowling 6/42 7/32 Catches/stumpings 10/0 126/0
Source: [1]

Boyle middle row left pictured with 1888 Australia national cricket team

Henry Frederick (Harry) Boyle (10 December 1847 – 21 November 1907) was a leading Australian Test cricketer of the late 1870s and early 1880s.

Boyle played for Victoria and had the distinction of visiting England with the three earliest Australian representative touring teams, in 1878, 1880 and 1882. The slightly reticent Boyle was chosen as captain for the 1880 tour but a shipboard team meeting voted to replace him with the more outgoing Billy Murdoch before their arrival. An outstanding medium-pacer, Boyle's greatest strengths were said to be the accuracy of his deliveries and his ability to probe a batsman's weaknesses. His bowling was considered to be particularly effective under English conditions. His achievements with the ball were often overshadowed by the exploits of his brilliant team mate, "The Demon Bowler", Fred Spofforth.

He was an exceptionally good close-in fielder, too, and a brave if limited batsman. In all, he played 12 Tests, taking 32 wickets at an average 20.03.

Boyle was also a leading Australian rules footballer for Carlton Football Club in the Victorian Football Association (VFA) during the 1870s.

Sources

• Atkinson, G. (1982) Everything you ever wanted to know about Australian rules football but couldn't be bothered asking, The Five Mile Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0 86788 009 0.
• Cricinfo article on Harry Boyle