Leslie Balfour-Melville (9 March 1854 – 17 July 1937), born Leslie Balfour, was a Scottish amateur sportsman, serving as captain, opening batsman, and wicket-keeper for the Scotland national cricket team.[1][2]
Leslie Balfour-Melville | |||
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![]() Balfour-Melville c. 1891 | |||
Personal information | |||
Full name | Leslie Balfour-Melville | ||
Born | (1854-03-09)9 March 1854 Bonnington, Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
Died | 17 July 1937(1937-07-17) (aged 83) North Berwick, Scotland | ||
Sporting nationality | ![]() | ||
Career | |||
Status | Amateur | ||
Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |||
U.S. Open | DNP | ||
The Open Championship | 5th: 1888 | ||
U.S. Amateur | DNP | ||
British Amateur | Won: 1895 | ||
Achievements and awards | |||
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Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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21st President of the Scottish Rugby Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In office 1893–1894 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Preceded by | David Morton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Succeeded by | Bill Maclagan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Balfour-Melville was also an international rugby union player,[3] tennis player, ice skater, curler, long-jumper, and player of English billiards. He was a prolific golf medal winner, winning The Amateur Championship, at St Andrews in 1895. He also held several administrative positions within national governing bodies. He was President of the Scottish Rugby Union, President of the Scottish Cricket Union, and Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in 1906.
Balfour-Melville was an inaugural inductee into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.[4]
Balfour was born in Bonnington, Edinburgh, on 9 March 1854[5] the son of James Balfour Melville (1815–1898) and his wife, Eliza Ogilvy Heriot Maitland (1821–1887).
He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy and the University of Edinburgh, he became a lawyer by profession, rising to be a Writer to the Signet. In 1893 the family changed its name to Balfour-Melville when his father succeeded to the estate of Mount Melville near St Andrews, Fife. His Edinburgh residence was at 53 Hanover Street in Edinburgh's New Town.[6]
His son James also played cricket for Scotland before losing his life in the First World War.
Balfour-Melville died in North Berwick, East Lothian, on 16 July 1937.[5] He is buried with his parents in the family tomb in the south-west corner of Greyfriars Kirkyard close to the Robertson mausoleum. On his grave he is named simply as Leslie Melville.
Playing for the Grange, he debuted against the Free Foresters in 1874. He played eighteen matches for the national side over 36 years. He captained Scotland in their first match against Ireland after the formation of the 2nd Scottish Cricket Union, and was the first president of the Scottish Cricket Union to play for the national side. During his career he scored 46 centuries.[7] He served as president of the Scottish Cricket Union in 1909.[8]
Year | Championship | Winning score | Runner-up |
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1895 | The Amateur Championship | 20 holes | ![]() |
Tournament | 1885 | 1886[9] | 1887 | 1888[10] | 1889 |
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The Open Championship | T16 | 5 LA | |||
The Amateur Championship | QF | SF | 2 |
Tournament | 1890[11] | 1891 | 1892[12] | 1893[13] | 1894[14] | 1895 | 1896[15] | 1897[16] | 1898 | 1899[17] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | T28 | |||||||||
The Amateur Championship | SF | SF | R16 | R16 | 1 | R32 | SF | R16 |
Tournament | 1900[18] | 1901[19] | 1902[20] | 1903[21] | 1904[22] | 1905[23] | 1906[24] | 1907[25] | 1908[26] | 1909[27] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Open Championship | WD | |||||||||
The Amateur Championship | R32 | R32 | R128 | QF | R128 | R128 | R32 | R64 | R128 | QF |
Tournament | 1910[28] | 1911[29] | 1912 | 1913[30] | 1914[31] | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920[32] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Amateur Championship | R64 | R64 | R128 | R128 | NT | NT | NT | NT | NT | R128 |
Note: Balfour-Melville only played in the Open Championship and the Amateur Championship.
LA = Low amateur
NT = No tournament
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R256, R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play
Leslie Balfour, as he was then, played for Edinburgh Academicals.[3]
He was capped once in 1872.[33]
He refereed the East v West district match in 1880.[34]
Balfour-Melville became the 21st President of the Scottish Rugby Union. He served the 1893–94 term in office.[35]
Balfour won the Scottish Lawn Tennis Championships in 1879.[36]
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