Wilfred Flowers
Encyclopedia
Wilfred Flowers was a professional cricket
er who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
between 1877
and 1896
.
Flowers was a slow bowler, who bowled offbreaks and a strong batsman who was one of the leading all-rounder
s of his day. He first played for Nottinghamshire in 1877, and established himself slowly in a very strong side despite being known to be unplayable on a sticky wicket
. In 1881, however, a players’ strike devastated Nottinghamshire and Flowers, seen as a player with less resolve than Alfred Shaw, Fred Morley
, Arthur Shrewsbury
, and John Selby
, was approached by county officials and took advantage of the opportunity to become much more important in the redevelopment of the county. Flowers took such advantage of this that in 1882 he took one hundred wickets for the first time. His batting, which had been not outstanding but valuable in an era of very low scoring, developed greatly the following year, in which Flowers became the first professional to do the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. Playing for the MCC
against Derbyshire, Flowers had the outstanding record of an innings of 131 and eleven wickets for eighty-seven runs.
He bettered this for the same club against Cambridge the following year, scoring 122 and taking fourteen wickets for 160 runs, and despite not doing quite so well with either bat or ball was still good enough to tour Australia
with Alfred Shaw
's teams in 1884–85. However, not physically strong enough for the hotter climate and drier wickets of Australia, Flowers only rarely, as when taking five for 46 in the Third Test and eight for 31 in the first match on a rain-damaged wicket, lived up to his English form. He did maintain his form well enough to tour again 1886–87, but this time Flowers did very little worthy of his reputation. Even at county level, Flowers was increasingly overshadowed, especially in dry weather, by the physically hardier William Attewell
. Nor did his batting advance during a succession of wet summers, but in the dry season of 1893 Flowers reached a four-figure run aggregate for only the second time. In the process he played an innings of 130 against the touring Australians including Charles Turner
, George Giffen
and Hugh Trumble
, and was thus unsuccessfully picked for his last Test at Lord’s, where he made 35 but was omitted in favour of Johnny Briggs
who was bowling immensely better at county level.
Flowers still bowled well in 1894, but in the dry weather of 1895 his bowling lost him: in his final season of 1896 he was put on for only twenty overs. He did achieve the notable feat of scoring a century in his last match against Sussex
.
After retiring as a player, Flowers served as an umpire from 1907 to 1912.
Flowers was married to Martha, and was a frame work knitter, and later a lacehand, by trade. At birth, he was registered as Wilfred Flower.
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 who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
between 1877
1877 English cricket season
The 1877 English cricket season followed the beginning of Test cricket in Australia in March.-Events:15 - 19 March. Australia v. England at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Afterwards recognised as the first-ever Test Match. Australia won by 45 runs with Charles Bannerman scoring 165*: the first Test...
and 1896
1896 English cricket season
The 1896 English cricket season saw Yorkshire win the County Championship title after only losing three of 26 games, setting a points percentage record with 68.42...
.
Flowers was a slow bowler, who bowled offbreaks and a strong batsman who was one of the leading 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 of his day. He first played for Nottinghamshire in 1877, and established himself slowly in a very strong side despite being known to be unplayable on a sticky wicket
Sticky wicket
Sticky wicket is a metaphor used to describe a difficult circumstance; it originates from difficult circumstances in the sport of cricket.-Origins:...
. In 1881, however, a players’ strike devastated Nottinghamshire and Flowers, seen as a player with less resolve than Alfred Shaw, Fred Morley
Fred Morley
Frederick Morley was a professional cricketer who was reckoned to be the fastest bowler in England during his prime...
, Arthur Shrewsbury
Arthur Shrewsbury
Arthur Shrewsbury was an English cricketer, and rugby football administrator, who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888, and who was widely rated as competing with W. G...
, and John Selby
John Selby
John Selby played cricket professionally for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club between 1870 and 1887...
, was approached by county officials and took advantage of the opportunity to become much more important in the redevelopment of the county. Flowers took such advantage of this that in 1882 he took one hundred wickets for the first time. His batting, which had been not outstanding but valuable in an era of very low scoring, developed greatly the following year, in which Flowers became the first professional to do the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. Playing 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...
against Derbyshire, Flowers had the outstanding record of an innings of 131 and eleven wickets for eighty-seven runs.
He bettered this for the same club against Cambridge the following year, scoring 122 and taking fourteen wickets for 160 runs, and despite not doing quite so well with either bat or ball was still good enough to tour 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...
with 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...
's teams in 1884–85. However, not physically strong enough for the hotter climate and drier wickets of Australia, Flowers only rarely, as when taking five for 46 in the Third Test and eight for 31 in the first match on a rain-damaged wicket, lived up to his English form. He did maintain his form well enough to tour again 1886–87, but this time Flowers did very little worthy of his reputation. Even at county level, Flowers was increasingly overshadowed, especially in dry weather, by the physically hardier 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...
. Nor did his batting advance during a succession of wet summers, but in the dry season of 1893 Flowers reached a four-figure run aggregate for only the second time. In the process he played an innings of 130 against the touring Australians including Charles Turner
Charles Turner (cricketer)
Charles Thomas Biass Turner was a bowler who is regarded as one of the finest ever produced by Australia....
, George Giffen
George Giffen
George Giffen was a cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. An all-rounder who batted in the middle order and often opened the bowling with medium-paced off-spin, Giffen captained Australia during the 1894–95 Ashes series and was the first Australian to score 10,000 runs and...
and Hugh Trumble
Hugh Trumble
Hugh Trumble was an Australian cricketer who played 32 Test matches as a bowling all-rounder between 1890 and 1904. He captained the Australian team in two Tests, winning both. Trumble took 141 wickets in Test cricket—a world record at the time of his retirement—at an average of...
, and was thus unsuccessfully picked for his last Test at Lord’s, where he made 35 but was omitted in favour of Johnny 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...
who was bowling immensely better at county level.
Flowers still bowled well in 1894, but in the dry weather of 1895 his bowling lost him: in his final season of 1896 he was put on for only twenty overs. He did achieve the notable feat of scoring a century in his last match against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
.
After retiring as a player, Flowers served as an umpire from 1907 to 1912.
Flowers was married to Martha, and was a frame work knitter, and later a lacehand, by trade. At birth, he was registered as Wilfred Flower.