2002: July, A record breaking month for Rudolph

JULY 2002 – A GOLDEN RECORD BREAKING MONTH FOR LOWERHOUSE’S JACQUES RUDOLPH

Lowerhouse signed Jacques Rudolph a 21 year old South African as the club’s professional for the 2002 season. We were lucky to get him, even though little would be expected of his bowling. He had already been selected for the New Year Test against Australia in Sydney only for his inclusion to be vetoed in the interests of observing the ‘quota’ of non-white players. Clearly he was emerging as a batsman of the very highest class.

After a slow start at Lowerhouse Rudolph had in July 2002 the best calendar month of any batsman in Lancashire League history. In seven innings, three of them not out, he scored 770 runs, including five successive centuries (against Accrington, Rishton (twice) Todmorden, and Haslingden) an all-time Lancashire League record. His average for the month was 192.5.

Jacques went on to have a distinguished cricket career, with 93 appearances for South Africa and ten seasons of success for Yorkshire, Sussex and Glamorgan.

I remember Jacques as a pleasant, personable and modest young man and an observant and committed Christian. He brought a lustre to the Lowerhouse scene and in that remarkable month of July 2002 left an indelible imprint on the League’s and the club’s history.

Jacques Lancashireleague.com statistics

by Harry Brooks