The Ryder Medal is Cricket Victoria's highest individual Award. The Ryder Medal, instituted in 1973, is presented at the completion of each season to Premier Cricket's "Best District Cricketer". The award is a wonderful part of Victorian Cricket and Carlton is proud of the six players who have won the Ryder Medal a total of eight times. But before we laud those players, a little about the man after whom the Award is named. The following notes having been drawn from a presentation to the club by Brad Dean during Season 2006/07. |
John Ryder became one of Victoria's great cricketers and administrators. Ryder was born on 8 August 1889 at Collingwood, Melbourne. Educated at the local state School, he started work at the age of 14, as an apprentice in Thomas Davies' shoemaking firm at Fitzroy. In 1906 Ryder began playing for Collingwood Cricket Club in the then new district competition. About 6 ft 2 ins (188 cm) tall and strongly built, he made his début for Victoria in the 1912-13 season. He established himself as a fine right-handed, middle-order batsman, especially strong in driving in front of the wicket. His most celebrated display of powerful hitting—295 runs in 245 minutes—occurred on 28 December 1926 in a Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales. |  |
Ryder was first selected for the Australian XI in 1920, He played in the five Tests against the visiting Englishmen in 1920-21, but contributed little to his country's victory in the series. In the 1921 season he performed well in three Tests against South Africa, averaging 111 with the bat. A back injury delayed his selection for the 1924-25 series against England, but he returned triumphantly to help Australia win (by eleven runs) the thrilling third game, played in Adelaide. Coming to the crease when his side was 5 for 118 in the first innings, he scored 201 not out. An additional 88 runs in the second innings gave him what was then the highest aggregate in a Test match. He is one of the few Test batsmen to have averaged better than 50 over his entire Test career. It was the end of his Test career. In 177 first-class games he made 10,499 runs at 44.29 and took 238 wickets. From 1931 Ryder commenced service as an administrator with the Victorian Cricket Association, retiring as vice-president in 1976. In 1946-70 he was a Test selector. He was associated with the Collingwood Cricket Club for seventy-one years as player (until 1943), coach, official and selector. His performances earned him the title, 'The King of Collingwood'—a remarkable honour for one who was a cricketer (rather than a footballer). Survived by his wife, and their daughter and son, he died on 3 April 1977. |
