© Wisden Cricket Monthly
Full name Verdun John Scott
Born July 31, 1916, Devonport, Auckland
Died August 2, 1980, Devonport, Auckland (aged 64 years 2 days)
Major teams New Zealand, Auckland
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm bowler
Profile
Godfrey Evans takes a catch,
off Verdun Scott © Getty Images
Verdun John Scott, who died suddenly at Devonport, New Zealand, on August 2, 1980, played in ten Tests for New Zealand between 1946 and 1952, and was a member of the side which toured England in 1949. Though overshadowed by Sutcliffe and Donnelly, he was one of their most dependable batsmen, scoring 1,572 runs with an average of 40.30 and making four hundreds. A big man, he had hardly any backlift and was no stylist, but he was very strong in the arms and his strokes travelled deceptively fast. He was an ideal foil to Sutcliffe as an opening partner and their value can be gauged from the fact that in the Tests of 1949 they took part in partnerships of 122 at Leeds, 89 at Lord's and 121 at The Oval. His highest Test score was against West Indies in 1952 when he saved the side with an innings of 84 in rather over four hours. For Auckland in the Plunket Shield he was a heavy scorer.
Verdun John Scott, born 31 July 1916 and died at Devonport, New Zealand on 2 August 1980, was a sportsman who represented New Zealand in both Test cricket and rugby league. As of 2011 he is the only player to have done so.Scott began playing rugby league in the mid 1930s, favouring league over soccer where he had previously represented "Auckland B".In league Scott quickly made the Auckland rugby league team and in 1939 was selected for the New Zealand Kiwis touring squad. He played in one Test match before the start of World War II cut short the tour. He was one of five players who did not play in the two club matches the Kiwis played before the tour was canceled.
During the Second World War, Scott served in Egypt and Italy.After the War, Scott was part of the North Shore Albions side that won the Auckland Rugby League's Roope Rooster and Stormont Shield in 1945.A burly and upright right-handed opening batsman with little or no backlift, Scott started his cricketing career by scoring a century on first-class debut for Auckland versus Canterbury in 1937-38. He made his Test debut against Australia in the match arranged after the Second World War in March 1946 and was top scorer in the first innings with 14 out of a total of just 42. New Zealand totalled just 96 runs in the two completed innings.
He was one of the more reliable batsmen on the New Zealand tour of England in 1949, and played in all four Tests. Though his top score in these games was only 60, he and left-handed opening partner Bert Sutcliffe gave the touring team a solid start in three matches, with partnerships of 122, 89 and 121. He later played in home Tests against England and the West Indies, reserving his best Test performance for his last game, when he made 84 out of New Zealand total of 160 in reply to the West Indies 546 for six wickets, a four-hour innings that took up enough time for bad light and rain to come to his side's rescue. In all, he played ten Tests for New Zealand.Scott was a prolific scorer in Plunket Shield cricket and in all first-class cricket averaged only just under 50 runs per innings.
Test debut New Zealand v Australia at Wellington, Mar 29-30, 1946
Last Test New Zealand v West Indies at Auckland, Feb 15-19, 1952
First-class span 1937-1953