Thomas Alexander Brandon Grant (5 December 1893 – 9 June 1966) was a cricketer who played

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officia ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

from 1920 to 1925. After working as a clerk in

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, Alec Grant enlisted in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

and served as a

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non- ...

in the

New Zealand Medical Corps New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

on the hospital ship '' Marama''. He was later promoted to sergeant, and towards the end of the war served on the ''Matatua''. An album of photographs he took during his service in Europe and the Middle East is in the National Library of New Zealand. Alec Grant Cricket

Grant was a middle-order batsman and left-arm spin bowler. He played his first match for

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

in 1920–21, and then was one of the leading batsmen in the 1921–22

Plunket Shield New Zealand has had a domestic first-class cricket championship since the 1906–07 season. Since the 2009–10 season it has been known by its original name of the Plunket Shield. History The Plunket Shield competition was instigated in Octob ...

, with 226 runs at an average of 56.50. In Canterbury's victory over

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

he made his top score of 78, which was also Canterbury's top score in the match. In the loss to

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

he top-scored in each innings with 66 not out and 64 not out. He played for

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasma ...

against

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-larges ...

at the end of the season, but was not successful. Grant moved to the

Manawatū District Manawatū District is a territorial authority district in the Manawatū-Whanganui local government region in the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Manawatū District Council. It includes most of the area between the Manawatū River ...

in 1922, where he captained the

Manawatu cricket team The Manawatu cricket team represents the Manawatū district of New Zealand. It competes in the Hawke Cup. History Cricket was played in the region in the 1870s. The Palmerston Cricket Club was formed in October 1878. The Manawatu Cricket Asso ...

and also represented

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by m ...

. After the MCC toured New Zealand in 1922–23, their captain,

Archie MacLaren Archibald Campbell MacLaren (1 December 1871 – 17 November 1944) was an English cricketer who captained the England cricket team at various times between 1898 and 1909. A right-handed batsman, he played 35 Test matches for England, as c ...

, singled Grant out as a player of particular promise, and suggested him as a member of the New Zealand side that might tour England in 1925. However, Grant played little cricket after that season. In 1928 he married Erna Gerritzen;New Zealand, Marriage Index, 1840-1937. Ancestry.com. they had one son, Lindsay.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Alec 1893 births 1966 deaths New Zealand cricketers Canterbury cricketers Wellington cricketers Australian emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand military personnel of World War I South Island cricketers