Albert Hallam
Encyclopedia
Albert Hallam was an off spin
bowler who is primarily remembered, along with Thomas Wass
, for giving Nottinghamshire an astonishing win in the County Championship
of 1907. They did not lose a single match and managed to win fifteen out of nineteen games in which a ball was actually bowled. This is the highest proportion of wins by an undefeated side and the third highest proportion of wins in County Championship history - and the two higher figures were in very dry summers with almost no rain interruptions.
Hallam was, at Nottinghamshire, the successor to the more famous Alfred Shaw
and William Attewell
. He was a slow bowler with extreme accuracy of pitch who could flight the ball with great skill and turn the ball both ways. He had few pretensions as a batsman, but his innings of 46 at The Oval
against Surrey was critical to Nottinghamshire remaining unbeaten for the season.
, Hallam acquired a good enough reputation for Lancashire, desperate for support for the seemingly irrepressible Mold
and Briggs
, to encourage Hallam to qualify. He steadily improved, and by 1896 Hallam's slow bowling was already providing Lancashire with a third force in attack. He actually beat Briggs in the averages and was only a fraction behind Mold, though he did less than half as much bowling as the two established bowlers. The following year, these three bowlers, together with the newly imported Willis Cuttell
, gave Lancashire a deadly attack on any helpful wicket and they won the County Championship. Hallam bowled consistently well and in all matches just reached 100 wickets. Nevertheless Wisden
and many batsmen thought he was not nearly so good as the other three bowlers because he was too regular on dry pitches and helped batsmen to play themselves in.
, turned to Hallam (qualified for them by birth). Hallam established himself quickly as a steady stock bowler during the following three years, though he was seldom deadly even when the pitches suited slow bowling as they usually did in 1902 and 1903. In 1904, Hallam was so disappointing when the weather turned fine that he was left out of four matches and did not once take five wickets in an innings, but he rebounded in 1905 with some excellent performances, notably 6 for 46 on a worn wicket at Lord's and a career-best 8 for 63 for North Of England in a festival game in September.
Nobody, though, could have been prepared for the following year's cricket. Striking their form at the start, Hallam and Wass were so deadly on the treacherous pitches that they won match after match with almost no bowling changes - they took all but fifty of the 348 wickets falling to Nottinghamshire in nineteen County Championship matches, only one of which was played throughout on a pitch unaffected by rain. In almost all Nottinghamshire's matches, the soft turf took all the spin Hallam and Wass could get on the ball, and even the best wet-wicket batsmen could never make a stand against them. It was thought Hallam should have played in the Test matches
against South Africa, but he was chosen only for the third and declined due to a damaged hand which had prevented him participating in Nottinghamshire's game with the tourists. However, he did displace Schofield Haigh
from his perennial position at the top of the bowling averages and was nominated as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
However, it was still a surprise how Hallam declined the following year. Affected by rheumatism in the right shoulder, his haul of wickets in county cricket fell from 153 to 72 and his average more than doubled. 1909, a summer equally as wet as 1907, was little better even if Hallam was twice unplayable against weak opponents on dreadful pitches. Already forty years of age, it was clear Hallam was not going to recover his form as he had done at least twice before, and after bowling with very moderate success in the early games of 1910 he was left out of the Nottinghamshire eleven for James Iremonger
to develop as a bowler. He played in Lancashire League cricket until World War I
and returned to Leicestershire after that, dying there in 1940 at the age of seventy.
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
bowler who is primarily remembered, along with Thomas Wass
Thomas Wass
Thomas Wass was a Nottinghamshire bowler who is best remembered, along with Hallam, for bowling that gave Nottinghamshire a brilliant County Championship win in 1907...
, for giving Nottinghamshire an astonishing win in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
of 1907. They did not lose a single match and managed to win fifteen out of nineteen games in which a ball was actually bowled. This is the highest proportion of wins by an undefeated side and the third highest proportion of wins in County Championship history - and the two higher figures were in very dry summers with almost no rain interruptions.
Hallam was, at Nottinghamshire, the successor to the more famous Alfred Shaw
Alfred Shaw
Alfred Shaw was an eminent Victorian cricketer and rugby footballer, who bowled the first ball in Test cricket and was the first to take five wickets in a Test innings . He who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888...
and William Attewell
William Attewell
William Attewell was a cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and England. Attewell was a medium pace bowler who was renowned for his extraordinary accuracy and economy...
. He was a slow bowler with extreme accuracy of pitch who could flight the ball with great skill and turn the ball both ways. He had few pretensions as a batsman, but his innings of 46 at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
against Surrey was critical to Nottinghamshire remaining unbeaten for the season.
Early years
Like so many Nottinghamshire-born men, Albert Hallam took to cricket at an early age. However, as he developed, he was not seen as good enough for a regular place in the Nottinghamshire eleven and, already residing in Leicestershire, played for them for a number of years in the late 1880s and early 1890s. Though these matches were not first-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
, Hallam acquired a good enough reputation for Lancashire, desperate for support for the seemingly irrepressible Mold
Arthur Mold
Arthur Webb Mold was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire County Cricket Club between 1889 and 1901. He played three Test matches for England in 1893 and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1892. A fast bowler, he was one of the most effective bowlers...
and Briggs
Johnny Briggs (cricketer)
Johnny Briggs was a left arm spin bowler for Lancashire County Cricket Club between 1879 and 1900 who still stands as the second-highest wicket-taker in the county's history after Brian Statham...
, to encourage Hallam to qualify. He steadily improved, and by 1896 Hallam's slow bowling was already providing Lancashire with a third force in attack. He actually beat Briggs in the averages and was only a fraction behind Mold, though he did less than half as much bowling as the two established bowlers. The following year, these three bowlers, together with the newly imported Willis Cuttell
Willis Cuttell
Willis Robert Cuttell was an English cricketer. Along with Albert Hallam, his support for Briggs and Mold gave Lancashire its first official County championship victory in 1897...
, gave Lancashire a deadly attack on any helpful wicket and they won the County Championship. Hallam bowled consistently well and in all matches just reached 100 wickets. Nevertheless Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
and many batsmen thought he was not nearly so good as the other three bowlers because he was too regular on dry pitches and helped batsmen to play themselves in.
Illness and move home
The triumphs of 1896 and 1897 were followed by disaster for Hallam, however. Always a sensitive figure of slight build, his health broke down so badly that he could not play in a single match for Lancashire in 1898, and broke down again soon after resuming playing in. Such setbacks would have certainly finished most cricketing careers, but Hallam worked hard to improve his health during 1900. Nevertheless, Lancashire’s bowling had become so strong that he was able to play only four games for the first eleven, with the result that Nottinghamshire, wanting a bowler to support Wass and John GunnJohn Gunn (cricketer)
John Richmond Gunn was an English cricketer who played in six Tests from 1901 to 1905....
, turned to Hallam (qualified for them by birth). Hallam established himself quickly as a steady stock bowler during the following three years, though he was seldom deadly even when the pitches suited slow bowling as they usually did in 1902 and 1903. In 1904, Hallam was so disappointing when the weather turned fine that he was left out of four matches and did not once take five wickets in an innings, but he rebounded in 1905 with some excellent performances, notably 6 for 46 on a worn wicket at Lord's and a career-best 8 for 63 for North Of England in a festival game in September.
A Prelude and an Extraordinary Triumph
1906 saw Hallam develop his skill considerably, showing an ability to spin the ball past the bat of even a watchful batsman when the pitch helped him. However, his greatest feat that season was the amazing endurance he showed in bowling, on a perfect Lord's wicket, 58 overs with a damaged hand and winning the match with Middlesex for the second successive year.Nobody, though, could have been prepared for the following year's cricket. Striking their form at the start, Hallam and Wass were so deadly on the treacherous pitches that they won match after match with almost no bowling changes - they took all but fifty of the 348 wickets falling to Nottinghamshire in nineteen County Championship matches, only one of which was played throughout on a pitch unaffected by rain. In almost all Nottinghamshire's matches, the soft turf took all the spin Hallam and Wass could get on the ball, and even the best wet-wicket batsmen could never make a stand against them. It was thought Hallam should have played in the Test matches
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
against South Africa, but he was chosen only for the third and declined due to a damaged hand which had prevented him participating in Nottinghamshire's game with the tourists. However, he did displace Schofield Haigh
Schofield Haigh
Schofield Haigh was a Yorkshire and England cricketer. He played for eighteen seasons for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, for England from the 1898/99 tour to 1912, and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1901....
from his perennial position at the top of the bowling averages and was nominated as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
Decline
Because it was clear that their bowling would be ineffective on rock-hard Australian pitches (and their bodies would not withstand the hard work under such conditions), Hallam and Wass were never considered for the winter's Ashes tour.However, it was still a surprise how Hallam declined the following year. Affected by rheumatism in the right shoulder, his haul of wickets in county cricket fell from 153 to 72 and his average more than doubled. 1909, a summer equally as wet as 1907, was little better even if Hallam was twice unplayable against weak opponents on dreadful pitches. Already forty years of age, it was clear Hallam was not going to recover his form as he had done at least twice before, and after bowling with very moderate success in the early games of 1910 he was left out of the Nottinghamshire eleven for James Iremonger
James Iremonger
James 'Jimmy' Iremonger was an English cricketer and one of the players most unlucky never to play Test cricket...
to develop as a bowler. He played in Lancashire League cricket until World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and returned to Leicestershire after that, dying there in 1940 at the age of seventy.