| Born | 3 October 1847 Cawnpore India |
| Died | 25 November 1932, Moville Co Donegal |
| Educated | Harrow School, Cambridge University |
| Occupation | Anglican Clergyman later Bishop of Tasmania later Secretary Society for Propagation of Gospel |
| Debut | 20 May 1867 v MCC at Lord's |
| Cap Number | 98 |
| Style | Right-hand bat, right-arm round arm |
| Teams | Co Donegal, Na Shuler, Cambridge University, MCC, Southgate |
| History | Henry Montgomery was, according to Scores & Biographies a "free hitter." He was three years in the Harrow XI v Eton being defeated by an innings each time. He was also the school football captain and a champion athlete. Harrow also introduced him to his future father-in-law, Dean W Farrar, author of the moralistic school story Eric or Little by Little, who was Henry's housemaster. At Cambridge, Montgomery did not win a blue. His reluctance to practise was said to be the reason, but his form was below the level required. He was too to ready to attack the bowling from the first, his total first class record in 9 innings, normally as an opener, being 112 runs from 9 innings with 1 not. His best knock was in his final outing for Cambridge, when, batting at number 9, he hit 43 against MCC. His opening match for Ireland, when he seems to have been picked because he was in London at the time, was a washout, but in 1868 he played a major part in Ireland's victory. He became the first Irish batsman to carry his bat through an innings making 37* out of a score of 100, crucial in a low scoring match which Ireland won by 75 runs. He never played for Ireland again, but was not completely lost to Irish cricket. He took part in Na Shuler tours of Co Cork and himself recorded an extraordinary match in remote Co Donegal in 1872. Playing for Moville v Malin his 7-1 and his brother 2-1 bowled their rivals out for 3, and a serious riot resulted. His active career in big cricket was now over, but while Vicar of Kennington, his church adjoined the Oval, he wrote two books: one, a history of the area, had much cricket history in it; the other Old Cricket and Cricketers is a valuable source for historians. Both books are sometimes available, in specialist booksellers' lists, for something rather more than a small fortune. Montgomery, father of nine children, became Bishop of Tasmania in 1899. He was somewhat controversial, and soon, desiring a wider stage, returned to England to Become Secratary of the SPG. He was made a KCMG in 1928. He retained his interest in cricket until the end, even after his retirement to Moville. This interest in Donegal and cricket was shared by his fourth child, Bernard Law Montgomery, the Field Marshal. He was in the XI at St Paul's School in London and later told his troops to "hit Rommel for 6 out of Africa." However his colleagues did not value his cricket opinions. "If Monty tells you how to win a battle, " Field Marshal Alexander, also a Donegal cricketer, told Len Hutton, during the 1953 Ashes series, "listen to him. But if he tells you how to win a cricket match - well that's a different matter." Henry Montgomery's obituary is in Wisden 1933. A more detailed biography is in Scores & Biographies Volume 8 Edward Liddle, April 2007 |