Frank Woolley
Encyclopedia
Frank Edward Woolley was an English
cricket
er, one of the finest all-rounder
s the game has seen. In a career lasting more than thirty years, he scored more first-class
runs than anyone but Sir Jack Hobbs
, and took over 2,000 wickets at an average
of under 20. He is also the only non-wicket-keeper
to have held more than 1,000 catches. His batting was remarkable both for his well documented elegance and his rapidity of scoring.
, especially in County Cricket
. No one else scored 2,000 runs and took 100 wickets in a season more often, a feat he performed in 1914 and 1921-23. Only W. G. Grace
scored a century and took ten wickets in a match more often. Just as impressive was his consistency, he averaged 40.75 in first-class cricket
and scored one thousand runs in a season 28 times, a record equaled only by Grace.
According to R. C. Robertson-Glasgow
"when you wrote about him, there weren't enough words. In describing a great innings by Woolley, and few of them were not great in artistry, you had to be careful with your adjectives and stack them in little rows, like pats of butter or razor-blades. In the first over of his innings, perhaps, there had been an exquisite off-drive, followed by a perfect cut, then an effortless leg-glide. In the second over the same sort of thing happened; and your superlatives had already gone. The best thing to do was to presume that your readers knew how Frank Woolley batted and use no adjectives at all.....there was all summer in a stroke by Woolley, and he batted as it is sometimes shown in dreams."
R. L. Arrowsmith wrote "his average rate of scoring has been exceeded only by Jessop
("the Croucher") and equaled by Trumper
. His philosophy was to dominate the bowler. "When I am batting," he said, "I am the attack." " To this day his 205 minute triple century for the MCC
vs Tasmania
remains the second fastest ever scored, bettered only by Denis Compton
.
Woolley played 64 Test matches
between 1909 and 1934, coincidentally both topping and tailing his international career with games against Australia
at The Oval
. He played under fourteen different captains for England, a record in Test cricket. He was made a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1911. In county cricket
he spent his entire career (1906–1938) with Kent County Cricket Club
, making his mark in his third game when he produced match figures of 95 runs and 8-119 with the ball to help Kent to a one-wicket win
.
Woolley Way in Maidstone
, Kent
(in an area where all the streets are named after Kent county cricketers) is named in his honour.
In July 2000 he was inducted into The Federation of International Cricketers Associations' Hall of Fame and in 2009 he was inducteed into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
.
In the Reliance ICC Test Player Batting & Bowling Rankings , he was:
and the Playfair Cricket Annual
. In this match, Woolley took two wickets and scored 10 runs.
For more information see Variations in first-class cricket statistics
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, one of the finest 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...
s the game has seen. In a career lasting more than thirty years, he scored more 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...
runs than anyone but Sir Jack Hobbs
Jack Hobbs
Sir John Berry "Jack" Hobbs was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches from 1908 to 1930....
, and took over 2,000 wickets at an average
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of under 20. He is also the only non-wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
to have held more than 1,000 catches. His batting was remarkable both for his well documented elegance and his rapidity of scoring.
Life and career
After making his debut for Kent in 1906, he fast established himself as a great all-rounderAll-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...
, especially in County Cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
. No one else scored 2,000 runs and took 100 wickets in a season more often, a feat he performed in 1914 and 1921-23. Only W. G. Grace
W. G. Grace
William Gilbert Grace, MRCS, LRCP was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having a special significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport...
scored a century and took ten wickets in a match more often. Just as impressive was his consistency, he averaged 40.75 in first-class cricket
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...
and scored one thousand runs in a season 28 times, a record equaled only by Grace.
According to R. C. Robertson-Glasgow
R. C. Robertson-Glasgow
Raymond Charles 'Crusoe' Robertson-Glasgow was a British cricketer and cricket writer....
"when you wrote about him, there weren't enough words. In describing a great innings by Woolley, and few of them were not great in artistry, you had to be careful with your adjectives and stack them in little rows, like pats of butter or razor-blades. In the first over of his innings, perhaps, there had been an exquisite off-drive, followed by a perfect cut, then an effortless leg-glide. In the second over the same sort of thing happened; and your superlatives had already gone. The best thing to do was to presume that your readers knew how Frank Woolley batted and use no adjectives at all.....there was all summer in a stroke by Woolley, and he batted as it is sometimes shown in dreams."
R. L. Arrowsmith wrote "his average rate of scoring has been exceeded only by Jessop
Gilbert Jessop
Gilbert Laird Jessop was an English cricket player, often reckoned to have been the fastest run-scorer cricket has ever known, he was Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1898.Relations...
("the Croucher") and equaled by Trumper
Victor Trumper
Victor Thomas Trumper was an Australian cricketer known as the most stylish and versatile batsman of the Golden Age of cricket, capable of playing match-winning innings on wet wickets his contemporaries found unplayable. Archie MacLaren said of him, "Compared to Victor I was a cab-horse to a Derby...
. His philosophy was to dominate the bowler. "When I am batting," he said, "I am the attack." " To this day his 205 minute triple century for the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
vs Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
remains the second fastest ever scored, bettered only by Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
.
Woolley played 64 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...
between 1909 and 1934, coincidentally both topping and tailing his international career with games against Australia
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...
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...
. He played under fourteen different captains for England, a record in Test cricket. He was made a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1911. In county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
he spent his entire career (1906–1938) with Kent County Cricket Club
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...
, making his mark in his third game when he produced match figures of 95 runs and 8-119 with the ball to help Kent to a one-wicket win
The result in cricket
The result in a game of cricket may be a win for one of the two teams playing, a draw or a tie. In the case of a limited overs game, the game can also end with no result...
.
Woolley Way in Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
(in an area where all the streets are named after Kent county cricketers) is named in his honour.
In July 2000 he was inducted into The Federation of International Cricketers Associations' Hall of Fame and in 2009 he was inducteed into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame "recognises the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket's long and illustrious history". A hall of fame, it was launched by the International Cricket Council on 2 January 2009, in association with the Federation of International Cricketers'...
.
In the Reliance ICC Test Player Batting & Bowling Rankings , he was:
- Highest Batting Rating - 701 on 11 June 1921 (v Australia, Lord's, 2nd Test)
- Highest Batting Ranking - 3rd on 11 June 1921 (v Australia, Lord's, 2nd Test)
- Highest Bowling Rating - 557 on 13 December 1913 (v South Africa, Durban, 1st Test)
- Highest Bowling Ranking - 3rd on 13 December 1913 (v South Africa, Durban, 1st Test)
Note
The first-class career statistics quoted in this article do not include one match whose first-class status is disputed, but which is included in publications such as Wisden Cricketers' AlmanackWisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
and the Playfair Cricket Annual
Playfair Cricket Annual
Playfair Cricket Annual is a compact annual about cricket that is published in the United Kingdom each April, just before the English cricket season is due to begin. Its main purposes are to review the previous English season and to provide detailed career records and potted biographies of current...
. In this match, Woolley took two wickets and scored 10 runs.
For more information see Variations in first-class cricket statistics
Variations in first-class cricket statistics
Variations in first-class cricket statistics have come about because there is no official view of the status of cricket matches played before 1947. As a result, historians and statisticians have compiled differing lists of matches that they recognise as first-class. The problem is significant where...
.