Albert George Rains (7 February 1865 – 17 July 1947) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played five first-class matches between 1894 and 1897.[1] He was later a businessman in Perth, Australia.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Albert George Rains | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1865-02-07)7 February 1865 Melbourne, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 17 July 1947(1947-07-17) (aged 82) Perth, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Wicketkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1894-95 to 1896-97 | Otago | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 22 May 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albert Rains played as a wicketkeeper for South Melbourne in Melbourne district cricket from 1889-90 to 1893-94.[2] He moved to Dunedin in 1894, working there for the Sargood retail company, and began playing for the Carisbrook club in 1894-95.[3] Carisbrook won the Dunedin championship in 1894-95, Rains leading the batting with 527 runs at an average of 47.9 and taking 22 wickets at an average of 9.7.[4]
He played his first match for Otago in December 1894 as a bowling all-rounder. In subsequent matches he kept wicket. When New South Wales played Otago on their tour of New Zealand in 1895-96 he scored 32 opening the batting in the second innings, Otago’s highest score in the match.[5]
He was selected to play for New Zealand in the match against New South Wales in Christchurch a week later, and played a major part in New Zealand’s first-ever victory. He opened the batting on the first morning and made 55 in three hours while wickets fell around him to the bowling of Sydney Callaway.[6] He was sixth out when the score was 114. It was the highest score on either side in the match. When New South Wales batted, he did not concede a bye in either innings.[7][8]
He moved to Perth in late 1896, co-managing the Sargood branch there.[9] Later, with his company A. G. Rains and Co., he represented the billiard-table manufacturers Alcock and Co.; in 1934 he organised a series of exhibition matches Walter Lindrum played in Western Australia.[10] In July 1947, while living in West Perth, he collapsed in the street in the centre of Perth and died.[11][12][13]