Jack Doig

Doig's family moved from Australia to New Zealand when he was a small boy. Doig and his first wife Alexandra (née Broome) had two daughters. She died in 1906 and he married Alice (née Hast) in 1907; they had a son and a daughter. He worked at various times as a blacksmith, insurance agent and sports store owner. He lived most of his life in Invercargill.[1]

Doig opened the bowling for Southland in March 1911 and took six wickets when Southland beat Rangitikei to become the first winners of the Hawke Cup.[2] Along with Hugh Bannerman and Don Hamilton he was nominated by the Southland Cricket Association for the tour to Australia in 1913–14.[3] But they were not playing for one of the four major teams, and they were not selected.

When Southland had first-class status from 1914–15 to 1920–21 he played in seven of their eight matches, taking 38 wickets at 15.78. Southland's first-class debut came in the match against Otago at Rugby Park, Invercargill, in February 1915. At the age of 42 Doig made his own first-class debut, along with nine of his team-mates. He opened the bowling and took 7 for 46 in the first innings, but Otago won comfortably.[4] In the match against Otago at Rugby Park in March 1919 he bowled unchanged through both innings, taking 5 for 43 off 24 eight-ball overs in the first innings, and 5 for 41 off 32.3 overs in the second, but Otago won again.[5]

In Southland's only first-class victory, against Otago at Rugby Park in March 1920, Doig took 2 for 74 and 6 for 21, he and his opening partner Dan McBeath taking 19 wickets in the match.[6] In his last first-class match, in March 1921, a few days before his 49th birthday, he took 5 for 102 for Southland against the touring Australians at Rugby Park, including the wickets of Vic Richardson and Alan Kippax.[7] In his five first-class matches at Rugby Park he took 31 wickets at an average of 12.70.[8]

He was still opening the bowling for Southland at the age of 50 in 1923 when they played MCC.[9] He organised Invercargill teams to tour the surrounding country districts annually in the 1920s and 1930s.[10][11] He was a member of the Invercargill Cricket Club for forty-six years, and he was also prominent in Southland in playing or administering Rugby football, hockey, athletics, basketball, boxing and golf.[12]

• Jack Doig at CricketArchive