page_title: Archie MacLaren
section_title: Full-time cricketer
hierarchical_section_title: Archie MacLaren / England captain / Full-time cricketer
caption_attribution_description: English: Archibald Campbell MacLaren, Lancashire and England, circa 1905.
context_page_description: Archibald Campbell MacLaren was an English cricketer who captained the England cricket team at various times between 1898 and 1909. A right-handed batsman, he played 35 Test matches for England, as captain in 22 of those games, and led the team to defeat in four Ashes series against Australia. An amateur, MacLaren played first-class cricket for Lancashire, captaining that county for most of his career. As a batsman, MacLaren was one of the leading cricketers of his time and had a reputation as a fast-scoring stylist. In 1895, he scored 424 runs in an innings against Somerset which was the highest individual score in first-class cricket until 1923 and remained a record in English cricket until 1994. Opinions were divided over his captaincy. He was a deep thinker on the game and critics believed him to be tactically advanced, but his pessimism, clashes with the selectors and inability to get the best out of his players led most commentators to rate him a poor leader.
  After attending public school, MacLaren played intermittently for Lancashire until 1899 as he tried to establish a career outside the sport.
context_section_description: In late 1899, MacLaren joined a private cricket tour of America and Canada organised by the cricket-playing Indian prince Ranjitsinhji. The following March, he was appointed as an assistant secretary at Lancashire. The position was a sinecure; his main role was to coach the first eleven which effectively meant that he was paid to play cricket, despite his amateur status. Surviving records do not indicate his salary, but some sources suggest he was paid comfortably more than Lancashire's leading professionals. In addition, MacLaren worked as a journalist for the Daily Express, reporting on matches in which he played, a common practice at the time for amateurs. Resuming sole control over the Lancashire side, and freed from his teaching responsibilities, MacLaren played from the beginning of the 1900 season, planning meticulously in a bid to lead Lancashire to the County Championship. His batting form suffered initially, but the team dominated the start of the season. Commentators gave much of the credit to MacLaren's captaincy. However, he was severely criticised for conservative tactics in one game, when he was reluctant to attempt to force a win. In the latter stages of the season, MacLaren scored prolifically, making a succession of high scores at rapid pace. He ended the 1900 season with 1,554 runs at 36.13. During that season, the leading Lancashire bowler Arthur Mold had been no-balled for throwing, but MacLaren defended him in the press. At a meeting of county captains in December, MacLaren was the only representative to defend the legality of Mold's bowling action, and in 1901, Mold was again no-balled and his career was effectively over. MacLaren struggled with injury in 1901, and his batting form suffered. He frequently dropped low in the batting order, and it was late in the season before he began to score runs regularly. His captaincy was criticised after some tactical decisions which were either unconventional or unsuccessful, and he clashed with the Lancashire committee over the poor state of Old Trafford's pitch. In total, he scored 1,069 first-class runs at 31.44.
  MacLaren was invited by the Melbourne Cricket Club to bring a team to Australia during the English winter of 1901–02. This was the last privately organised team to represent England at Test level in Australia, with subsequent ones playing under the colours of the MCC. Many leading players were unavailable—Yorkshire's Wilfred Rhodes and George Hirst were not permitted to tour by their captain Lord Hawke. The team was judged to be weak, but contained several players at the beginning of their careers who went on to success at Test level. Sydney Barnes was chosen by MacLaren after playing only a handful of county matches. Barnes' success on his single appearance for Lancashire in 1901 convinced MacLaren of his worth, to the surprise and disparagement of commentators, most of whom had never seen him. Barnes began the tour well, but did not get on with his captain. During a storm on part of the sea journey, MacLaren, speculating on their chances of survival, commented to a team member: "If we go down, at least that bugger Barnes will go down with us." The team lost their first match and continued to struggle. MacLaren clashed with authorities in Melbourne over his right to choose an umpire, but he began to bat well at Sydney, where he scored 145 and 73 in a tour match.
  In the first Test, MacLaren shared a century opening partnership with Tom Hayward and scored 116 to become the first man to score four Test centuries. This was the last Test century by an England captain in Australia for 57 years. Barnes bowled with great success; Colin Blythe and Len Braund, like Barnes chosen by MacLaren and making their Test debuts, performed effectively and England won by an innings. The remaining four Tests were lost as the team suffered from a lack of effective bowlers. MacLaren severely overbowled Barnes, who took 13 wickets, in the second Test; the bowler was injured in the next game and took no further part on the tour. MacLaren was successful with the bat. He sc
caption: MacLaren c. 1905
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