Famous Cricketers No 47 - John Wisden

think, the easiest delivery I ever saw. In the days when the bowler was compelled to bowl level with the shoulder, Wisden was always spoken of as being remarkably ‘fair’. Indeed I think he never gave the umpire any trouble as to the doubtfulness of his delivery at any time. He had a great command of pitch, was very straight, and likely to slick a batsman out even on a good wicket, however well set, as his ball came in quick off the pitch, and he bowled many shooters.” In 1859 Wisden and Parr organised the first overseas tour made by English cricketers which was to North America, thus setting a noteworthy precedent for all future such ventures. The touring side consisted of twelve of the most renowned players of the time. Four came from Surrey, three each from Nottinghamshire and Cambridgeshire and two from Sussex. The whole tour was a huge success and the team won all its games, all against odds, which were played in both the U.S.A. and Canada. None of the games were of first-class status but it is worth recording that Wisden took as many as 79 wickets in seven games including a phenomenal haul of 29 for 60 runs in the last match of the tour against Twenty-Two of Canada. In a match in Rochester, U.S.A. in October 1859 he took six wickets in successive balls. Another contemporary, Richard Daft in Kings of Cricket describes Wisden as a splendid fast bowler, but dwells more on Wisden’s batting: “Wisden was known as the ‘pendulum’ player, from the way in which he swung his bat backwards and forwards.” Caffyn notes: “He played with a beautifully straight bat, which he appeared to hold very lightly, but nevertheless he could hit hard and clean.... He was clever at making the old-fashioned ‘draw’ between the right leg and wicket.” In an age when large individual scores were uncommon he twice made centuries and once shared a last wicket partnership of over one hundred runs. Wisden also excelled at single wicket cricket and defeated the champion, Tom Sherman, on three occasions. In all cricket matches during the period of the twelve seasons from 1848 to 1859 he took no fewer than 2,707 wickets, an average of 225 per year. In 1851 he had a total aggregate of 455 wickets in all matches, a vast figure although it should be borne in mind he played 43 games. Having returned from North America after the 1859 tour, Wisden injured himself playing racquets. The injury proved so serious that he was unable to play in any first-class, or any UEE, matches during 1860. When he resumed in 1861, it is assumed that he bowled mainly underhand lobs, his bowling average being very ordinary. In 1862 he was again injured and missed many UEE games in the middle of the season, acting as umpire in several UEE odds matches. Although he resumed cricket on a full time basis in 1863, missing only two UEE odds matches, he bowled less and less. Lillywhite’s Guide of 1862 noted “is not so active in fielding” - Wisden’s weight had steadily increased from 7 stone to 10 and he was handicapped by rheumatics. The final game in which his names appears as a player in Scores and Biographies is UEE v Alnwick on September 21-23, 1863 - he took no wickets and scored 0 and 1. About 1863 he moved to 21 Cranbourn Street, still near Leicester Square, and in 1864 published The Cricketer’s Almanack in rivalry to his old partner’s The Guide to Cricketers . Fred Lillywhite was none too pleased and in The Guide printed the following pen portrait of Wisden: “Was one of the best bowlers that England ever produced, but it did not last so long as his celebrated predecessors. He can manage a few overs now ‘on the spot’, but with little effort, having to attend to business, which fortunately was obtained and left to him, and for which he is as much distinguished as he is now a cricketer. He is the energetic Secretary of the United All 6