Alfred Hollings

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Alfred Hollings
Personal information
Full name
Alfred Maurice Hollings
Born(1906-05-13)13 May 1906
Billericay, Essex, England
Died5 March 1988(1988-03-05) (aged 81)
Wellington, New Zealand
BattingRight-handed
RoleAll-rounder
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1926/27–1929/30Wellington
FC debut25 December 1926 Wellington v Otago
Last FC7 March 1930 Wellington v Auckland
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 7
Runs scored 330
Batting average 30.00
100s/50s 0/2
Top score 65*
Balls bowled 434
Wickets 5
Bowling average 47.00
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 2/18
Catches/stumpings 9/–
Source: Cricinfo, 24 October 2020

Alfred Maurice Hollings (13 May 1906 – 5 March 1988) was a New Zealand lawyer and cricketer. He played in seven first-class cricket matches for Wellington from 1926 to 1930.[1][2]

Early life

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Hollings was born at Billericay in Essex, England on 13 May 1906 to Alfred William George Hollings and Mary Margaret Hollings.[3][4][5] He was educated at Wellington College in New Zealand, playing cricket at school,[6][7] before going up to Victoria University in Wellington. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in June 1928.[8]

Cricket

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Whilst at university, Hollings played cricket for the Varsity club, Victoria University's side. He scored a century playing for the team's junior side against Auckland University in 1923–24[9] and in December 1924 he took seven wickets for the juniors against the senior team and was considered worthy of a place in the senior side.[10] By February 1925 he was receiving praise as the "best player in the junior grade" who had done "phenomenally well with bat and ball" and his name was suggested as one for the Wellington selector to consider.[11] By December he had been selected in a group of players to practice for the Wellington representative side, having showed good form in a match between Varsity and the Wellington club,[12] and it was suggested that he would "become one of Wellington's best all round cricketers".[13]

In January 1926 he played for a Wellington Colts side against a touring Auckland team, scoring 95 runs in a "stylish display",[14] and by February the New Zealand Times was of the opinion that his selection for the Wellington side to play Auckland "should be assured", judging him "one of the finest all-rounders playing the game in Wellington this season".[15] In April he played for Wellington against Nelson at the Basin Reserve, showing good batting form, scoring 69 runs in a Wellington total of 497.[16][17]

A good display for a Wellington Colts side against the senior side at the start of the 1926–27 season,[18] followed by two centuries in November saw him described as "easily ahead of any other batsman in Wellington"[19] and as "one of the most promising bats in Wellington if not in New Zealand"[20] with the expectation that he would soon make his Wellington debut. A third century in early December, made in "tip-top style"[21] and setting a Wellington provincial record as the first player to score centuries in three successive matches,[22] saw the Times cricket correspondent describe Hollings as "the best colt he has during the last few years" and suggest that he had a good chance of playing for the New Zealand national cricket team on their planned tour of England in 1927,[21] and despite a "patchy" performance for Wellington Town against a Country Districts side later in the month he was selected for the representative side for the opening Plunket Shield match of the season―the first time a Varsity player had been selected for the team since before World War I.[9][23]

Hollings played in all three of Wellington's matches in the 1926–27 Plunket Shield, making his debut on Christmas Day against Otago at the Basin Reserve. Despite a duck in his first innings, he scored 23 runs in the second, and, although he failed to take wicket, was described as a "useful change bowler" ahead of the team's match against Canterbury at Lancaster Park.[24][25] A better batting performance which saw him scored 65 not out in a second Wellington victory of the season, saw him retained for a non-Shield match against Auckland in January, again scoring 65 not out.[26][27]

Hollings played a total of seven first-class cricket matches for Wellington, five of which were in the Plunket Shield.[4][28] After his four matches during the 1926–27 season he did not play again for the representative side until a match against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club touring side in December 1929,[a] before featuring twice in Wellington's successful Plunket Shield campaign later in the 1929/30 season―he was reported as suffering from an illness during the 1927–28 season and was "unavailable" for the team in 1928–29.[30][31] In February 1927 Hollings was in the Wellington team to play against the a touring Melbourne Cricket Club side.[32]

In Wellington senior club cricket Hollings was, in 1927, one of only five players who had scored three double centuries in a season in the previous almost 30 years.[33] Earlier that year the Wellington Cricket Association had unsuccessfully nominated Hollings for the New Zealand team.[34]

In 1933 Hollings was appointed Assistant Secretary for the Wellington Cricket Association.[35] During his cricketing career Hollings played at the local senior club level for Varsity (Victoria University) from 1925 to 1929, Wellington from 1929 to 1933, and Karori from 1934 until 1937 and continued to play matches for a variety of sides until at least 1940 as well as playing golf.[36][37]

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After graduating, Hollings qualified as a barrister and was admitted to the bar in 1929.[38] On 1 January 1930 TU Ronayne admitted Hollings into partnership and formed Ronayne and AM Hollings, a legal firm based in Wellington. Prior to this Hollings had been Ronayne's Managing Clerk.[39]

The firm was dissolved in 1945 when Hollings acquired WP Coles' interest in the firm Phillips and Coles. With the acquisition the firm was renamed. In Petone it was known as Phillips, Coles, Hollings and Shayle-George, and in Wellington it was known as Phillips, Hollings and Shayle-George.[b][42]

Military service

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During World War II Hollings was involved with the organisation of the Emergency Protection Scheme on the home front[43][44] before later serving in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. In October 1943 he was promoted from Aircraftman Class 1 and received a temporary commission as a Pilot Officer.[45] He served as an intelligence officer with No. 19 Squadron RNZAF in the Bougainville area until October 1944 when he was transferred to the Reserve of Air Force Officers and resumed his law practice.[46][47]

Personal life

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Hollings married Lilian Etta May Gilbert in 1930.[48] The couple had three children. He died on 5 March 1988 aged 81 and was buried at Paraparaumu, north of Wellington.[3][49]

Notes

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  1. ^ The MCC side was the English cricket team which was touring New Zealand and was the first to play Test matches against New Zealand. At the time official English touring teams played under the name, colours and badge of the MCC and were only styled "England" during Test matches.[29]
  2. ^ The firm was later known as Phillips Fox.[40] When DLA Piper merged the business in 2011 the New Zealand firm split off and became an independent legal company again.[41]

References

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  1. ^ Alfred Hollings, CricInfo. Retrieved 24 October 2020
  2. ^ Alfred Hollings, CricketArchive. Retrieved 24 October 2020. (subscription required)
  3. ^ a b Alfred Hollings, My Heritage. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b Alfred Hollings, Wisden online. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  5. ^ McCarron T (2010) New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010, p. 69. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. (Available online. Retrieved 8 June 2022.)
  6. ^ Wanganui v Wellington, The Evening Post, vol. CIV, issue 146, 18 December 1922, p. 8. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  7. ^ College match, The Evening Post, vol. CIV, issue 148, 20 December 1922, p. 11. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  8. ^ Bachelors of Laws, The Spike or Victoria College Review, 1928. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  9. ^ a b Carrad JA, Wild HRC (1934) VUC cricket and its progress, The Spike or Victoria College Review, 1934, pp. 81–83. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  10. ^ At the Crease, The Evening Post, vol. CVIII, issue 154, 27 December 1924, p. 19. Retrieved via Papers Past 16 April 2022.
  11. ^ Cricket Jottings, New Zealand Times, vol. LII, issue 12069, 21 February 1925, p. 10. Retrieved via Papers Past 16 April 2022.
  12. ^ Players and the Game, New Zealand Times, vol. LII, issue 12312, 5 December 1925, p. 17. Retrieved via Papers Past 16 April 2022.
  13. ^ Cobcroft LT (1925) Watch Hollings, New Zealand Truth, issue 1046, 12 December 1925, p. 11. Retrieved via Papers Past 16 April 2022.
  14. ^ A first innings victory, New Zealand Times, vol, LIII, issue 12338, 7 January 1926, p. 7. Retrieved via Papers Past 16 April 2022.
  15. ^ Cricket, New Zealand Times, vol. LIII, issue 12370, 13 February 1926, p. 17. Retrieved via Papers Past 16 April 2022.
  16. ^ Wellington v Nelson, The Evening Post, vol. CXI, issue 80, 5 April 1926, p. 2. Retrieved via Papers Past 16 April 2022.
  17. ^ Batsmen make merry, New Zealand Times, vol LIII, 5 April 1926, p. 9. Retrieved via Papers Past 16 April 2022.
  18. ^ Bright cricket, New Zealand Times, vol. LIII, issue 12587, 26 October 1926, p. 3. Retrieved via Papers Past, 16 April 2022.
  19. ^ At the Wickets, New Zealand Times, vol. LIII, issue 12605, 16 November 1926, p. 11. Retrieved via papers Past 16 April 2022.
  20. ^ Cricket, The Evening Post, vol. CXII, issue 117, 13 November 1926, p. 22. Retrieved via Papers Past, 16 April 2022.
  21. ^ a b At the Wickets, New Zealand Times, vol. LIII, issue 12623, 7 December 1926, p. 11. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  22. ^ Cricket, The Spike or Victoria College Review, 1927, pp. 58–64. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  23. ^ Sparkling Cricket, New Zealand Times, vol. LIII, issue 12635, 21 December 1926, p. 9. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  24. ^ Canterbury eleven to face Wellington, The Star, issue 18042, 30 December 1926, p. 9. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  25. ^ Plunket Shield, Evening Star, issue 19444, 30 December 1926, p. 3. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  26. ^ Bright Cricket, New Zealand Times, vol. LIV, issue 12649, 8 January 1927, p. 6. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  27. ^ A drawn game, New Zealand Times, vol. LIV, issue 12651, 11 January 1927, p. 9. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  28. ^ First class matches played by Alfred Hollings, New Zealand Cricket Association. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  29. ^ The History of MCC, Marylebone Cricket Club. Retrieved 1 January 2021. (Archived at the Wayback Machine, 7 July 2013.)
  30. ^ Cricket, The Evening Post, vol. CIV, issue 152, 24 December 1927, p. 22. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  31. ^ The Cricket Critic, Auckland Sun, vol. II, issue 546, 26 December 1928, p. 7. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  32. ^ Miscellaneous matches played by Alfred Hollings, New Zealand Cricket Association. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  33. ^ Dempsters Records, The Evening Post, 27 February 1928, p. 14
  34. ^ NZ Cricket Team, Auckland Star, 18 January 1927, p. 9.
  35. ^ Cricket Season, The Evening Post, 3 October 1933, p. 9.
  36. ^ Cricket: Veterans' match, The Evening Post, vol. CXXIX, issue 43, 20 February 1940, p. 16. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  37. ^ Legal men at golf, The Evening Post, vol. CXXXII, issue 72, 22 September 1941, p. 9. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  38. ^ Personal items, The Evening Post, vol. CVIII, issue 137, 6 December 1929, p. 13. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  39. ^ Legal notice, The Evening Post, vol. CIX, issue 10, 13 January 1930, p. 2. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  40. ^ Directors Announces Distinguished Fellows, Scoop, 1 October 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  41. ^ DLA Phillips Fox in divorce from New Zealand arm (archived version), The Lawyer, 3 May 2011. Retrieved from the Wayback Machine, 17 April 2022.
  42. ^ Legal Notice, Hutt News, vol. 19, issue 14, 5 September 1945, p. 6. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  43. ^ An Appeal, Hutt News, vol. 15, issue 13, 27 August 1941, p. 5. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  44. ^ E.P.S Lower Hutt, Hutt News, vol. 16, issue 12, 19 August 1942, p. 6. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  45. ^ Appointments of Officers of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, New Zealand Gazette, 13 January 1944, p. 9. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  46. ^ Appointments, Reduction, Transfers, and Relinquishments of Officers of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, New Zealand Gazette, 23 November 1944, p. 1429. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  47. ^ Public notices, The Evening Post, vol. CXXXVIII, issue 86, 9 October 1944, p. 4. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  48. ^ Marriage, Wanganui Chronicle, vol. 74, issue 2, 3 January 1931, p. 1. Retrieved via Papers Past, 17 April 2022.
  49. ^ Obituaries in 1988, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1989. Retrieved via CricInfo, 17 April 2022.
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