Born at Leyton, Essex in 1903, James Morton Sims was an attacking right-handed middle order batsman and leg break bowler. He represented Middlesex 381 times between 1929 and 1952 during which time he amassed 87,173 runs (av. 17.12) including three centuries with a top score of 121. He achieved 1,257 wickets (av. 25.23) with a best performance of 9 for 92 versus Lancashire at Old Trafford, Manchester in 1934 and he held 202 catches. He took 100 wickets in a season eight times with a best of 159 (av. 20.30) in 1939. He played four Tests for England between 1935 and 1936/37 taking 11 wickets (av. 43.63) with a best performance of 5 for 73 and he scored 16 runs (av. 4.00) and he held 4 catches. He toured abroad on three occasions with M.C.C. to Australia and New Zealand in 1935/36 and 1936/37 and Brinckman to South America 1937/38. His best bowling performance of all time was 10 for 90 for East versus West at Kingston-upon-Thames in 1948. His last first-class match was for M.C.C. in 1953. County Scorer from 1969 until his death in 1973. It is commonly believed that he succeeded Patsy Hendren in 1960, but he did not. Archie Fowler briefly acted in 1960, but Jim Alldis (the manager of the Cricket School) took this role from 1960 until 1968.
