Ernest Rae

Ernest Allan Rae (8 November 1897 – 28 June 1969) was a Jamaican cricketer who represented West Indies in matches before they attained Test match status. He was the son of Percival Rae and Ethalynd Maud Nix, and went to the Mico Practising School in Kingston.

Rae's first cricket was played as a teenager in the Senior Cup for Kensington; he later played for Kingston. He played for Jamaica in 1925 in three matches against Barbados. In five innings, his highest score was 19 runs, but in the second game, he took four for 50 (four wickets for 50 runs) with the ball. The following year, Rae played three games for Jamaica against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) team of English cricketers. He bowled less frequently than in 1925 but was more successful in batting, scoring 75 in the first match.

Rae played in a series of trial matches in December 1927 and January 1928; in the final match, he scored 80. This performance, coupled with his previous form, secured his selection for the tour of England. Previews of the tour noted that Rae was an occasional wicket-keeper, He was also described as someone who played big shots when batting. However, when Rae played in England, he bowled only five overs on the entire tour and played just seven first-class games. He did not play in any of the Test matches. According to his obituary in the Daily Gleaner, his form in 1928 was affected by bronchitis.

Rae was also a prominent businessman in Jamaica. After working briefly in theatre and cinema upon leaving school, by 1921 he was co-promoter at the Rae Brothers car dealership. He was also a Justice of the Peace. Rae was married and had a daughter and a son, Allan, who later played Test cricket for West Indies in the 1950s.

Rae was known as "Big Man" and had a reputation for being forceful, controversial and opinionated. Critics considered that he was not a naturally talented batsman, but improved through application and practice.