George Alfred Wilson
Encyclopedia
George Alfred Wilson was an English cricketer, a right-arm fast bowler and right-handed batsman who was the first man to take a wicket for Worcestershire County Cricket Club
after they attained first-class
status for the 1899 season
.
Born in Amersham
, Buckinghamshire, Wilson opened the bowling in Worcestershire's very first County Championship
match against Yorkshire
on 4 May 1899, and made his mark at once by dismissing England
batsman Jack Brown before Yorkshire had scored a run. He continued in the same vein, finishing with an outstanding debut innings return of 8–70, although he was less successful (2–69) in the second innings and Worcestershire were defeated by 11 runs thanks to 6–19 from Jack Brown's namesake John Thomas Brown.
Wilson enjoyed a fine first season in first-class cricket, finishing with 92 wickets at 22.46
, including 8–46 in Worcestershire's first win, against Oxford University
and eight wickets in the match in their first Championship win, against Leicestershire
in late July. He also played twice against the touring Australians
: once for an England XI, when he took only one wicket (that of Victor Trumper
), and once for a Midland Counties
side, for whom he was more successful and picked up five wickets in the game.
In 1900
, Wilson passed 100 wickets for the first time, a feat he was to repeat in 1901
and 1902
, his best being 122 wickets in 1901. The 1900 season also saw him make his highest score of 78 against London County
, batting at number 11 and adding 97 for the last wicket with Albert Bird
; while in 1901, he played in a Rest of England side against Yorkshire, a game in which Gilbert Jessop
scored 233 for the Rest of England in about two and a half hours. In these three summers combined, Wilson took five or more wickets in an innings on 30 occasions.
From 1903
onwards, Wilson's effectiveness steadily declined; indeed, after 1901, he took fewer wickets each summer until his retirement five years later. However, he remained good enough to be selected for the Players of the South against Gentlemen of the South in 1903, while the following year
he achieved career-best innings figures of 9–75 against Oxford University.
In 1906
Wilson's season's bowling average, which with the exception of 1904 had remained in the low twenties throughout his career, ballooned to 36.09, and at the end of that season he retired from first-class cricket. He died in Abbots Langley
, Hertfordshire, just over a month short of his 85th birthday.
His son, George Clifford Wilson
, played 70 times for Worcestershire between 1924 and 1926.
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire...
after they attained 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...
status for the 1899 season
1899 English cricket season
In the 1899 English cricket season, Surrey won the County Championship for the first time in four years, and the title turned out to be their last until 1914. Surrey's season was dominated by draws, with fourteen out of 26 games drawn, just like the season in general - especially the Australian...
.
Born in Amersham
Amersham
Amersham is a market town and civil parish within Chiltern district in Buckinghamshire, England, 27 miles north west of London, in the Chiltern Hills. It is part of the London commuter belt....
, Buckinghamshire, Wilson opened the bowling in Worcestershire's very first County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
match against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
on 4 May 1899, and made his mark at once by dismissing 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...
batsman Jack Brown before Yorkshire had scored a run. He continued in the same vein, finishing with an outstanding debut innings return of 8–70, although he was less successful (2–69) in the second innings and Worcestershire were defeated by 11 runs thanks to 6–19 from Jack Brown's namesake John Thomas Brown.
Wilson enjoyed a fine first season in first-class cricket, finishing with 92 wickets at 22.46
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...
, including 8–46 in Worcestershire's first win, against Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and eight wickets in the match in their first Championship win, 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....
in late July. He also played twice against the touring 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...
: once for an England XI, when he took only one wicket (that of Victor 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...
), and once for a Midland Counties
Midland Counties cricket team
A Midland Counties cricket team appeared on four occasions in English first-class cricket, all in the 19th century. In 1843 they played two games against MCC, one at Lord's and one at Barker's Ground in Leicester; they lost both, and in the second innings of the first match were dismissed for just 30...
side, for whom he was more successful and picked up five wickets in the game.
In 1900
1900 English cricket season
The 1900 English cricket season saw Yorkshire finish the season unbeaten in the County Championship, the first time this had happened since the start of the official championship in 1890. They therefore became county champions, while defending champions Surrey finished in the middle of the pack in...
, Wilson passed 100 wickets for the first time, a feat he was to repeat in 1901
1901 English cricket season
Yorkshire defended their County Championship title in the 1901 English cricket season, though, unlike in 1900, they lost one game during the season, to 12th-placed Somerset....
and 1902
1902 English cricket season
The 1902 English cricket season saw the first Ashes series in England since 1899, when Australia had won a series in England for the first time since 1882. Australia won again, this time 2–1, with the first two Tests rained off...
, his best being 122 wickets in 1901. The 1900 season also saw him make his highest score of 78 against London County
London County Cricket Club
London County Cricket Club was a short-lived cricket club founded by the Crystal Palace Company. In 1898 they invited WG Grace to help them form a first-class cricket club. Grace accepted the offer and became the club's secretary, manager and captain. As a result, he severed his connection with...
, batting at number 11 and adding 97 for the last wicket with Albert Bird
Albert Bird (cricketer)
Albert Bird was an English cricketer: a right-arm off-break bowler and lower-order right-handed batsman who played for Worcestershire for the first ten years of their existence as a first-class county....
; while in 1901, he played in a Rest of England side against Yorkshire, a game in which Gilbert 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...
scored 233 for the Rest of England in about two and a half hours. In these three summers combined, Wilson took five or more wickets in an innings on 30 occasions.
From 1903
1903 English cricket season
In the 1903 English cricket season Middlesex won their first County Championship title, winning eight and losing one of their 18 games in the season. Yorkshire, the defending champions and the only team to have won the Championship thus far in the 20th century, finished third after losing five...
onwards, Wilson's effectiveness steadily declined; indeed, after 1901, he took fewer wickets each summer until his retirement five years later. However, he remained good enough to be selected for the Players of the South against Gentlemen of the South in 1903, while the following year
1904 English cricket season
In the 1904 English cricket season Lancashire went through the County Championship unbeaten, which was enough to clinch the Championship title. Lancashire drew ten games, but their 16 wins were still more than any other team could muster...
he achieved career-best innings figures of 9–75 against Oxford University.
In 1906
1906 English cricket season
The 1906 English cricket season saw the Championship decided on the very last day with Kent just pipping Yorkshire for the title. George Hirst achieved the unique feat of a "double Double", i.e...
Wilson's season's bowling average, which with the exception of 1904 had remained in the low twenties throughout his career, ballooned to 36.09, and at the end of that season he retired from first-class cricket. He died in Abbots Langley
Abbots Langley
Abbots Langley is a large village and civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire. It is an old settlement and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Economically the village is closely linked to Watford and was formerly part of the Watford Rural District...
, Hertfordshire, just over a month short of his 85th birthday.
His son, George Clifford Wilson
George Clifford Wilson
George Clifford Wilson was an English cricketer who followed his father, the more accomplished George Alfred Wilson, into a career as a right-arm fast bowler with Worcestershire....
, played 70 times for Worcestershire between 1924 and 1926.
External links
- Statistical summary from CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...