Arthur Wellard
Encyclopedia
Arthur William Wellard was a cricketer
who played for Somerset
and England
. A late starter in county cricket, having been told by his native county, Kent
, that he would be better off taking up a career as a policeman, Wellard played on into his late 40s. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1936.
Wellard was a fast-bowling all-rounder
who exemplified much of the happy-go-lucky cricket played by Somerset in the 1930s. Despite a first-class
batting average
of only 19.72, he was famous for the number of sixes he hit, with over 500 in his career, accounting for a quarter of his runs. He was for many years the holder of the record number of sixes in a single season, with 72 in 1935. But Wellard as a fast bowler was good enough to be picked twice for England, against New Zealand in 1937 and against the Australians
in 1938, and his 1,614 career wickets put him 63rd on the all-time bowling lists.
against the touring New Zealanders. A further tourists match against the West Indians followed the following season, but he was unable to appear in the County Championship
until he was qualified in 1929. He took 125 wickets in his maiden season in the tournament, finishing behind only Jack White
in the club's tally for the year. He took ten wickets in a match for the first time during his fourth County Championship match for Somerset against the visiting Kent
side, with figures of 6/108 & 4/28. He took five-wicket hauls in four out of five innings at the beginning of June 1929, with five in the only innings against Derbyshire
, six in the first innings against Leicestershire
, and another six in the first innings followed by five in the second innings when Gloucestershire
visited Taunton
.
Wellard played county cricket with Boss Meyer
, the founder of Millfield School
. Meyer was a well known eccentric and allegedly in 1947, Wellard who was even older than Meyer, was bowling rather well, when Northamptonshire
batsman Dennis Brookes
played a false stroke through the slips which Meyer, too crippled by lumbago to bend down, failed to catch. Meyer reached into his back pocket and said, "Sorry Arthur, here's a quid."
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played for Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
and England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
. A late starter in county cricket, having been told by his native county, Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
, that he would be better off taking up a career as a policeman, Wellard played on into his late 40s. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1936.
Wellard was a fast-bowling all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
who exemplified much of the happy-go-lucky cricket played by Somerset in the 1930s. Despite a first-class
First-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...
batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of only 19.72, he was famous for the number of sixes he hit, with over 500 in his career, accounting for a quarter of his runs. He was for many years the holder of the record number of sixes in a single season, with 72 in 1935. But Wellard as a fast bowler was good enough to be picked twice for England, against New Zealand in 1937 and against the Australians
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
in 1938, and his 1,614 career wickets put him 63rd on the all-time bowling lists.
Career
Wellard's first-class debut came at the age of 25 for SomersetSomerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
against the touring New Zealanders. A further tourists match against the West Indians followed the following season, but he was unable to appear in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
until he was qualified in 1929. He took 125 wickets in his maiden season in the tournament, finishing behind only Jack White
Jack White (cricketer)
John Cornish White, known as "Farmer" or "Jack", was an English cricketer who played for Somerset and England. White was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929...
in the club's tally for the year. He took ten wickets in a match for the first time during his fourth County Championship match for Somerset against the visiting Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
side, with figures of 6/108 & 4/28. He took five-wicket hauls in four out of five innings at the beginning of June 1929, with five in the only innings against Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
, six in the first innings against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
, and another six in the first innings followed by five in the second innings when Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
visited Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
.
Wellard played county cricket with Boss Meyer
Jack Meyer (educator and cricketer)
Rollo John Oliver Meyer , known generally as 'Jack', and at Millfield mainly as 'Boss', was an English educationalist who founded Millfield School and Millfield Preparatory School in Somerset; he was also an all-round sportsman who played cricket at first-class level in both England and in India...
, the founder of Millfield School
Millfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
. Meyer was a well known eccentric and allegedly in 1947, Wellard who was even older than Meyer, was bowling rather well, when Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
batsman Dennis Brookes
Dennis Brookes
Dennis Brookes was an English cricketer who played for Northamptonshire between 1934 and 1959 . He also played in one Test match for England against West Indies in 1948. Brookes was President of Northamptonshire from 1982 to 1984...
played a false stroke through the slips which Meyer, too crippled by lumbago to bend down, failed to catch. Meyer reached into his back pocket and said, "Sorry Arthur, here's a quid."