James Fleming (sportsman)

James Millar Fleming (5 September 1901 – 4 September 1962) was a Scottish first-class cricketer and curler.

Fleming was born at Philpstoun in September 1901. He was educated at the Linlithgow Academy. A club cricketer for West Lothian Cricket Club, Fleming was considered one of the best all-round cricketers in Scotland.[1] On the back of this, he was selected to play for Scotland in a first-class match against Ireland at Greenock in 1926.[2] In the only innings in which he batted, he scored an unbeaten 51 batting at number 10.[3] In that same season, he played for Scotland in a minor match at Edinburgh against the touring Australians, captained by Herbie Collins.[1] Later, during the Second World War, Fleming did much to attract first-class cricketers to Scotland and organised Scottish cricket tours.[4][1]

In 1948, Fleming took up curling and a year later he was a member of the team which won the 1949 Worlds Curling Championships.[1] Fleming was known for his large collection of books on cricket,[4] in addition to his collecting, he also wrote the book Through Wales With Bat and Bottle. He founded the Scottish Cricket Society in 1952.[1] Fleming died at Murrayfield a day before his 61st birthday, following a long illness.[1]