John Kerr

KERR, JOHN, one of Scotland's greatest cricketers, died in a Greenock hospital on December 27, aged 87. An opening batsman, he gained fame in 1921 when in two matches at Perth and Edinburgh he scored 222 runs against Warwick Armstrong's formidable Australian team. In the first match he made 15 and 60 not out, and he batted all of one day in the next at Raeburn Place for 147, Wisden stating that until he reached three figures he played a rigidly defensive game.

Jack Hobbs ranked him among the world's best batsmen. He was capped 39 times and scored 2,096 runs for his country with his highest innings 178 not out against Ireland in 1923. Between 1901 and 1940 when he retired, John Kerr made over 40,000 runs in club matches. Kerr was also a brilliant slip fielder and skilful slow bowler.

Mr. Kerr, whose father and brother, and cousin J. Reid Kerr (Scottish cricketing and rugby internationalist) all played for Greenock, became the club's first Honorary President in 1956, an office he held until his death.

After retiring from cricket, Mr. Kerr took up bowling and was a member of Greenock's Ardgowan Club, of which he was a past president.

He was an elder in Greenock Presbytery for 27 years and served on several committees of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. He also had a long association with the Boys' Brigade and was captain of the 7th Greenock Company for nearly 40 years.