Thomas (Tom)
Patrick Horan (born March 8, 1854 in Midleton,
County Cork, Ireland - died April 16, 1916 in Malvern,
Melbourne, Victoria) was an Australian cricketer, and
later cricket journalist.
Horan emigrated to Australia with
his parents and siblings at a young age. In Melbourne,
he attended Bell Street School in Fitzroy and formed
a friendship with Jack Blackham; Blackham encouraged
in Horan a love of cricket. Horan made his first-class
debut for Victoria in the season of 1874/75.
At age 23, Tom Horan was selected
to play in the first Test between Australia and England
in March 1877. Australia won the toss and elected to
bat. After the fall of the first wicket, that of Nat
Thomson, Horan made his way to the wicket. With Charles
Bannerman - who would eventually retire hurt on 165
- Horan put on 38 runs for the second wicket before
he was dismissed for 12. In the second innings, the
young batsman made 20, the highest score in Australia's
104 all out. Australia won the historic match by 45
runs. (Scorecard)
Although he was not selected to
play in Second Test of the inaugural Test series, Horan
did enjoy a regular place in the Australian Test team
into the mid-1880s. His highest Test score of 124 was
made in the First Test of the 1881/82 season against
England. Horan toured England twice, in 1878 and 1882,
but played only one Test in that country, at the Oval
in 1882.
In 1884, the Australian Test team
- minus Horan - demanded a significant pay rise. When
organisers refused the request, the team went on strike.
With the Second Test against England due to start in
Melbourne, selectors were forced to choose an entirely
new team. Horan was selected as captain. His team consisted
on nine debutants (five of whom never played Tests again).
Not surprisingly, Australia lost the Test by 10 wickets.
In the following Test, Horan, having being stripped
of his captaincy duties, made a significant impact with
the ball, returning figures of 6/40 from 37.1 four-ball
overs in England's first innings.
Tom Horan retired from cricket following
the 1884/85 series. He turned his attention to journalism,
writing a regular cricket column for the newspaper The
Australasian, a sister-publication to Melbourne's Argus
newspaper. He never attached his own name to his writings,
preferring to use the pseudonym "Felix". Horan
continued contributing to The Australasian until World
War I. He died in 1916.
In 1879, Horan married the daughter
of a Melbourne police officer, Kate Pennefather. They
had nine children.
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