James Bryant (Australian cricketer)

James Mark "Jerry" Bryant (1826 – 10 December 1881) was an Australian cricketer. He played first-class cricket matches for Surrey and Victoria. He was born in England in 1826, being christened on 24 October of that year at Caterham, Surrey.

James Bryant

Jerry Bryant (second from right)
Personal information
Full name	James Mark Bryant
Born	1826 England
Died	10 December 1881 Sale, Victoria, Australia
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm medium
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1852	Surrey
1856/57–1861/62	Victoria
1861/62	Surrey XI
First-class debut	23 August 1852 Surrey v Sussex
Last First-class	1 March 1862 Surrey XI v The World
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 11 Runs scored 182 Batting average 10.70 100s/50s 0/0 Top score 26 Balls bowled 904 Wickets 22 Bowling average 10.81 5 wickets in innings 0 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 3/11 Catches/stumpings 10/–
Source: Cricinfo, 13 February 2015

Bryant was an instrumental figure at the outset of Australian rules football, providing footballs, equipment and amenities for many of the earliest recorded matches in the parklands of Melbourne. His hotel, the Parade Hotel, near the Melbourne Cricket Ground, is where the first laws of the game were codified by members of the Melbourne Football Club in May 1859.