# John Spring (cricketer)

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**John Patrick Spring** (1844/45 – 13 February 1907) was an Irish [cricketer](/source/Cricket) and soldier in the [British Army](/source/British_Army). While living in New Zealand, he played eight [first-class](/source/First-class_cricket) matches for [Otago](/source/Otago_cricket_team) between the 1877–78 and 1884–85 seasons.[1][2]

## Life and career

Born in [Dublin](/source/Dublin) where he was christened in August 1845,[2] Spring served in the British Army's [5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot](/source/5th_(Northumberland_Fusiliers)_Regiment_of_Foot). He was commissioned as an [ensign](/source/Ensign_(rank)) in the 2nd battalion in October 1864 and joined the regiment in [Cape Colony](/source/Cape_Colony) where he is known to have played some cricket.[3][4] The battalion returned to Britain in 1867, and Spring, who became the battalion's [Instructor of Musketry](/source/Instructor_of_Musketry) in November,[5] was stationed at [Dover](/source/Dover) and then [Aldershot](/source/Aldershot) where he was promoted to the rank of [lieutenant](/source/Lieutenant_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) in January 1868.[6][7] Later in the year he played cricket for the Officers of the Aldershot Division side against [I Zingari](/source/I_Zingari), a fixture which he also featured in in 1869.[4] He played more cricket in Scotland in 1870 and 1871 whilst the battalion was stationed at [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow),[4][8] before the battalion moved to Dublin in 1872 where Spring appears to have left the army after being declared [bankrupt](/source/Bankrupt).[5][9]

Spring and his wife Lucy left for New Zealand in 1876, arriving in [Dunedin](/source/Dunedin) in January 1877.[10] He worked in Dunedin as an accountant and insurance agent,[9][11][12] had interests in a New Zealand mining company,[13] and was secretary of the Dunedin, Peninsula and Ocean Beach Railway Company.[14]

A [wicket-keeper](/source/Wicket-keeper) and lower-order batsman, Spring played in most of Otago's matches between the 1876–77 and 1884–85 seasons. He [captained](/source/Captain_(cricket)) the team in several matches, including the one against [the touring Australians](/source/Australian_cricket_team_in_New_Zealand_in_1877%E2%80%9378) in January 1878, when the close match finished in a draw.[15] After the [English tour of New Zealand in 1876–77](/source/English_cricket_team_in_Australia_and_New_Zealand_in_1876%E2%80%9377), the English veteran player [James Southerton](/source/James_Southerton) judged Spring to be the best wicket-keeper in New Zealand.[16]

Spring umpired five first-class matches between 1883 and 1890[17] and was elected president of the [Otago Cricket Association](/source/Otago_Cricket_Association) in 1890.[18]

Spring and his wife returned to the United Kingdom in 1895.[19] He died at [Rathdown, County Dublin](/source/Rathdown,_County_Dublin), in February 1907, aged in his early sixties.[2]

## References

1. ["John Spring"](http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/38544.html). ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 25 May 2016.

1. ["John Spring"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22908/22908.html). CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 May 2016.

1. Hart HG (ed) (1865) *[The New Annual Army List and Militia List for 1865](/source/Hart's_Army_List)*, vol 26, p. 530. London: John Murray. ([Available online](https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/104599142) at the [National Library of Scotland](/source/National_Library_of_Scotland). Retrieved 29 October 2023.)

1. ["Miscellaneous Matches played by John Spring"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22908/Miscellaneous_Matches.html). *CricketArchive*. Retrieved 15 July 2023.

1. Hart HG (ed) (1872) *[The New Annual Army List and Militia List for 1872](/source/Hart's_Army_List)*, vol 33, p. 240. London: John Murray. ([Available online](https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/104523218) at the [National Library of Scotland](/source/National_Library_of_Scotland). Retrieved 29 October 2023.)

1. Hart HG (ed) (1868) *[The New Annual Army List and Militia List for 1868](/source/Hart's_Army_List)*, vol 29, p. 229. London: John Murray. ([Available online](https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/104497262) at the [National Library of Scotland](/source/National_Library_of_Scotland). Retrieved 29 October 2023.)

1. Hart HG (ed) (1869) *[The New Annual Army List and Militia List for 1869](/source/Hart's_Army_List)*, vol 30, p. 229. London: John Murray. ([Available online](https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/104506370) at the [National Library of Scotland](/source/National_Library_of_Scotland). Retrieved 29 October 2023.)

1. Hart HG (ed) (1870) *[The New Annual Army List and Militia List for 1870](/source/Hart's_Army_List)*, vol 31, p. 240. London: John Murray. ([Available online](https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/104514686) at the [National Library of Scotland](/source/National_Library_of_Scotland). Retrieved 29 October 2023.)

1. McCarron A (2010) *New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010*, p. 124. Cardiff: [The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians](/source/The_Association_of_Cricket_Statisticians_and_Historians). ISBN 978 1 905138 98 2 ([Available online](https://archive.acscricket.com/cricketers_series/new_zealand_cricketers_1863-64_2010/index.html) at the [Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians](/source/Association_of_Cricket_Statisticians_and_Historians). Retrieved 5 June 2023.)

1. ["Shipping"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18770122.2.18). *Evening Star*. 22 January 1877.

1. ["Legal Notices"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT18810817.2.2.9). *[Otago Daily Times](/source/Otago_Daily_Times)*. 17 August 1881.

1. ["Divorce Court"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18860728.2.8). *Evening Star*. 28 July 1886.

1. ["Advertisements"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WSTAR18890914.2.23.6). *Western Star*. 14 September 1889.

1. ["The Courts To-day"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18830410.2.14). *Evening Star*. 10 April 1883.

1. ["Australian Eleven v Twenty-Two of Dunedin"](https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/200545545). *Australasian*. 23 January 1878.

1. ["Southerton on the New Zealand Cricketers"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GLOBE18770416.2.9). *Globe*. 16 April 1877.

1. ["John Spring as Umpire in First-Class Matches"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22908/Umpire_in_First-Class_Matches.html). *CricketArchive*. Retrieved 15 July 2023.

1. ["Otago Cricket Association"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18901009.2.38). *Evening Star*. 9 October 1890.

1. ["Anglo-Colonial Notes"](https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WC18951023.2.33). *Wanganui Chronicle*. 23 October 1895.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Spring (cricketer)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Spring_(cricketer)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Spring_(cricketer)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.