First-class Cricket
A right-handed middle-order or opening batsman and a right-arm occasional bowler, Coen had a long career in South African domestic cricket from 1921-22 to 1938-39, but made a particular impact in only two seasons. Across the 1920s, Coen's first-class cricket was for Orange Free State, usually one of the weaker South African domestic sides; he did little for them in his first three seasons, but in 1924-25, he made 60 in the match against an even weaker Griqualand West team. He then followed this, in his only other first-class match of the season, with 103 against a team of English Test and county players on an unofficial tour organised by the South African entrepreneur S. B. Joel.
Coen had an indifferent season in 1925-26, but in 1926-27 he suddenly emerged as one of the top cricketers in South Africa, with 737 runs in the season at an average of 73.70 and, having previously not taken a single wicket, 14 wickets as well. The runs and wickets came not just against the weaker sides: in the match against Transvaal, he took four wickets for 92 runs in Transvaal's first innings and then, when Orange Free State had been set an unlikely 559 to win, he made 172 in the second innings, so the game was lost by only 111 runs. The following match, against Natal he was promoted to open the innings and made 165, putting on 305 for the second wicket with Mick Commaille; this was then somewhat overshadowed by a first-wicket partnership of 424 for Natal, but it remains the highest second-wicket partnership in first-class cricket for Orange Free State. There was more to come in the next match. Coen made 87 in the first innings of the game against Eastern Province and then, again in partnership with Commaille, he hit 132 out of an unbroken first-wicket stand of 236 which also remains as an Orange Free State/Free State record and which won the match.
Read more about this topic: Shunter Coen
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