John Cochrane obituary by Edward Liddle

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Player:

JL Cochrane

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DateLine: 22nd March 2020

 

John Cochrane was a good all round cricketer. A right hand - usually - opening bat and and a left arm medium pacer, equally at home with the new ball or old, he should probably have played many more times for Ireland.

 

Unfortunately in the 1950s, when he was in his prime, he failed in the North v South trials; later, for the North West, in the interprovincial Guinness Cup matches, he performed only adequately with a highest score of 38 and best bowling of 5-54 across five seasons.

 

For Donemana and, later Coleraine, however, he was a dominant force in League and Cup cricket; he hit five centuries, the last at the age of 45, twice reaching a highest score of 112.

 

Bowling he had a number of 5 wicket hauls, twice taking 8 in an innings. For the North West against a strong Pakistan International side at Strabane in August 1969 he dismissed Mohammed Illyas for 0 and Hanif Mohammed for 6, in taking 3-54.

 

At the end of the month he was selected for Ireland's tour of England, becoming - at the age of 41 - the first grandfather to play for Ireland. He is likely to remain the only one. Unfortunately he failed in both matches, v Combined Services and MCC, and was not selected again. He continued to play senior competitive cricket well into his late 40s, rivaling, though not equaling, his grandfather whose career extended from the late 1880s to 1927.

 

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2020 Edward Liddle)