Alexander Crooks, who caught W.G. Grace at Adelaide Oval in 1874, caught out in collapse of Commercial bank

W.G. Grace, caught on the boundary by Alexander Crooks, was out for six in the match against South Australia at Adelaide Oval in 1874.

From hero to zero. Alexander Crooks, famous for catching out W.G. Grace, became the aptly named culprit blamed for the 1880s collapse of a major Adelaide bank.

The spread of railways had fuelled the colony’s 1880s land boom and speculation when the Adelaide Loan Company was boldly advertising: “Who wants money?” In February 1886, the shock came when the Commercial Bank of South Australia closed its doors at 74 King William Street.

Shareholders meeting at Adelaide Town Hall were told the bank had lost money in mining speculation and the blame was sheeted home to its manager: Crooks.  It also embarrassed the bank directors, including members of Adelaide’s social elite such as Richard Tarlton and Henry Ayers.

Ironically, Crooks, a bank clerk, had come to the notice of that elite in 1874 in a moment of cricketing fame when, representing South Australia at Adelaide Oval, he took a spectacular boundary catch to dismiss the legendary W. G. Grace (for six runs). Crooks was soon treasurer of the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) and, by 1885, he became its chairman but resigned shortly before the bank scandal broke. A large part of the bank’s cash deficiency turned out to be money misappropriated by Crooks as SACA treasurer.

The bank shareholders’ meeting called for Crooks’ lynching. He avoided that but served eight years in Yatala prison. There was a general run on the banks. The parliament was accused of being in the pockets of “land sharks” and the clergy called for day to pray to God to atone for the sin of greed.

A committee of investigation appointed by the special shareholders’ meeting reported “culpable negligence” by the directors who had put a “child-like trust in their new manager”. They concluded that the probable loss to the bank was £324,000.

Future premier and former cricket associate Charles Kingston defended Crooks at his trial in 1886. The judge estimated that Crooks had probably misappropriated £20,000 to £30,000 and had advances to customers without approval from the directors to an extent of £278,000.

The bank went into liquidation. The South Australian Cricket Association avoided that, helped by a secret loan from the brewer Edwin Smith.