All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

120 Alex Kennedy Players v Gentlemen, 1927 Kennington Oval, Kennington on 6, 7, 8 July 1927 (3-day match) Toss won by Players Match drawn Umpires: LC Braund, J Stone Players 424-9 dec (EH Hendren 150); Gentlemen 80 (AS Kennedy 10-37) and 181-8 Gentlemen first innings NVH Riches c Durston b Kennedy 0 RES Wyatt c Shepherd b Kennedy 18 A Jeacocke c Sandham b Kennedy 7 NE Haig c Hendren b Kennedy 19 CP Brutton b Kennedy 0 *LH Tennyson c Hendren b Kennedy 4 JP Parker c Durston b Kennedy 2 M Falcon c Hendren b Kennedy 16 +WB Franklin c Mead b Kennedy 2 IAR Peebles not out 3 RPH Utley st Livsey b Kennedy 7 Extras (lb 2) 2 Total (all out, 44.4 overs) 80 Fall of wickets 1-1, 2-17, 3-32, 4-33, 5-45, 6-50, 7-51, 8-61, 9-72, 10-80 Players bowling: AS Kennedy 22.4-10-37-10, JA Newman 7-3-8-0, JW Hearne 15-5-33-0 Players: JB Hobbs (capt), A Sandham, JW Hearne, EH Hendren, CP Mead, JH Parsons, TF Shepherd, JA Newman, AS Kennedy, WH Livsey (wk), FJ Durston Alex Kennedy took more wickets than any Hampshire bowler, even Derek Shackleton, and like the great Shack began life many miles from Hampshire. Shackleton was born in Yorkshire (just), whilst Kennedy was born in Edinburgh in 1891, his family moving south five years later. Bowling at around medium pace with a smooth rhythmical action, Kennedy’s stock delivery with the new ball was the inswinger but his most dangerous ball was the leg cutter, varied with an occasional off-spinner. Changes of pace, tireless accuracy, great stamina and patience meant that even in unfavourable conditions he was an unrelenting foe. He formed a great bowling partnership with Jack Newman, Hampshire’s third highest wicket-taker. He was also a useful batsman, five times accomplishing the allrounder’s seasonal double. Making his first-class debut in 1907, Kennedy became a county regular two years later and took 100 wickets in a season for the first time in 1912, a feat he repeated another 14 times. He exceeded 200 wickets in 1922 (as well as scoring over 1,000 runs, a double only emulated by Albert Trott