John Crossland (2 April 1852 – 26 September 1903) was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket between 1878 and 1887. Crossland was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in county cricket, but critics generally believed that he threw, rather than bowled the ball, a practice illegal in cricket. Contemporaries suggest that, but for the suspicions over his bowling action, Crossland would have played Test cricket for England.
Crossland was born in Nottinghamshire, but qualified to play for Lancashire County Cricket Club through his residency there. He made his first-class debut for his adopted county in 1878 and reached his peak as a bowler between 1881 and 1884. His most effective year was 1882, when he headed the national bowling averages, claiming 112 wickets at an average of just over ten runs per wicket. The presence of Crossland and other bowlers with suspect actions in the Lancashire team caused some counties to refuse fixtures against them during the mid-1880s. In 1885, a ruling from the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) barred Crossland from playing for Lancashire as his qualification for the county had technically lapsed when he lived in Nottinghamshire outside of the cricket season. The ruling forced his retirement from county cricket, although he sporadically played other first-class matches for a few years.
As a right-arm fast bowler, Crossland claimed 322 wickets in all first-class cricket at an average of 12.48. He claimed ten or more wickets in a match on six occasions. Primarily a tail-end batsman, he scored 1,172 runs with a top score of 51.
Early career
Crossland was born in Sutton-in-Ashfield in Nottinghamshire on 2 April 1852. Employed as a coal miner, he was one of a number of Nottinghamshire-born cricketers who sought professional contracts in Lancashire. The Lancashire cricket leagues began paying the best players to appear for them, creating an exodus of cricketing talent to the county. Crossland first gained employment as a professional cricketer in 1876, with Enfield Cricket Club. In a single innings match against Burnley that season, he took eight wickets and conceded 88 runs (abbreviated as "eight for 88"). The following season he once again took eight wickets against the same opposition, finishing with figures of eight for 50. Towards the end of 1877, he was chosen to play for a "Gentlemen and Players XI" against Burnley in a benefit match for Burnley's professional John Melling. He took five for 10 in the match from his five overs to help his side win on first innings. In early 1878, Crossland improved upon his previous efforts, taking eight for 28 against Burnley.
Lancashire professional
Crossland's performances for Enfield drew the attention of Lancashire County Cricket Club, for whom he was qualified on the basis of residency. He made his debut against Yorkshire in August 1878. He was not required to bowl in the first innings, and after scoring one run, bowled eight overs without a wicket in the second innings. He took his maiden wicket in first-class cricket in his second match, against Kent. In another benefit match played for Melling, Crossland took eight for 60 for "Burnley District XI" against Burnley in September 1878. His first match for Lancashire in 1879 came in June, when he claimed four for 26 against Derbyshire; his best bowling that season. He claimed wickets consistently through the season, and finished with fifteen wickets from his seven matches at an average of 14.53. He only played three times for Lancashire in 1880, taking seven wickets at 16.28. He bowled with little effect in most of 1881, but took ten wickets in a match against Surrey at the Oval. Across his other six matches that year, he only claimed three further wickets, and completed the season with thirteen wickets at an average of 7.15.