| Born | 5 September 1891 Cork |
| Died | 21 June 1963 Carrigmore Rushbrooke, Co Cork |
| Educated | Eton College. |
| Occupation | Managing Director of family grain merchants' company |
| Debut | 31July 1930 v MCC at Mardyke Cork |
| Cap Number | 379 |
| Style | Right hand bat, wicket keeper |
| Teams | Cork County |
| History | Robert Hall was a useful batsman occupying varying positions in the order and a good wicket keeper. He was not in the XI at Eton thus missing the chance of playing in the epic "Fowler's Match", but made a name for himself with Cork County, playing under the captaincy of Sir George Colthurst, often in company with his first cousin FH "Derrick" Hall.
No record of him making big scores has been seen, partly because, Colthurst, another - it would seem - of those rather eccentric captains who bedevilled Irish cricket at the time, tended to move him up and down the order, like a yo yo rather than a cricketer. As his scores against Dublin University over several years show, he usually responded well to promotion. Thus at No 11 at The Mardyke in 1926, he hade 10 and 9 falling to international all rounders Pat Thornton and Achey Kelly, but promoted to the middle order in 1929, despite more low scores lower down, he made a crisp 34 in 1929 and a second innings 29 the following year. This was not always the case. In 1926 at 3, he had been yorked by Tom Dixon without scoring, but overall it seems that when treated as a batsman for the County, he played like one. 1930 also saw his one match for Ireland, a two day game against MCC at The Mardyke, the first time the fixture had come south of Dublin. He probably owed his selection to the fact that he was a Munsterman as were four other new caps. Colthurst was appointed captain probably because of the financial help he could provide. Robert found himself at 11 when Ireland batted and made 11 not out in a rather undistinguished batting performance. He then kept wicket soundly allowing only two byes in a total of 239, though he made no catches or stumpings. Colthurst then sent him in to open the Irish second innings with David Pigot. He was bowled straight away by occasional Surrey Second XI paceman Kenneth Howman. Shortly afterwards, heavy rain set in and the match was abandoned. Robert never played for Ireland again, though he continued to turn out for Cork County for some years. Edward Liddle, November 2008 |