Famous Cricketers No 66 - Wilfred Rhodes

1900 The adage that bowlers hunt better in pairs was never more than justified this year when Rhodes and Schofield Haigh carried all before them. For Yorkshire they dismissed 351 batsmen in County matches alone and 400 in all matches. Rhodes, the supreme artist, charmed the batsmen out while Haigh veritably frightened them out, his vicious break-back gaining many a wicket. While researching Haigh’s career for a possible booklet some years ago it appeared to me that he was the finest exponent of dismissing 8, 9, 10 and 11 with unerring accuracy. In his first match against Worcestershire at Bradford Rhodes took 7-20 and he had 8-68 against Cambridge University at Fenner’s. By the end of May he had already taken 59 wickets. In the ‘Roses’ match he had 8-43 and followed this with 7-46 against Essex at Leyton. Rhodes’ 8-23 for Yorkshire against Hampshire at Hull came two matches later and proved to be his best analysis this year although he also took ten wickets in a match on five occasions. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 68. Yorkshire v Worcestershire, Bradford, May 7 (Yorkshire won by an innings and 5 runs) c and b H.M.Bannister 0 99 13 6 16 4 H.K.Foster c J.Tunnicliffe 43 E.G.Arnold c D.Hunter A.W.Isaac st D.Hunter H.M.Bannister b 11.1 4 20 7 J.Howard c J.Tunnicliffe 51 E.G.Arnold st D.Hunter F.L.Bowley st D.Hunter A.W.Isaac c S.Haigh A.Bird st D.Hunter G.A.Wilson c D.Denton T.Straw lbw 69. Yorkshire v Kent, Catford, May 10, 11, 12 (Yorkshire won by 131 runs) b A.Hearne 1 163 13 4 35 0 112 c A.Hearne b W.M.Bradley 0 260 11.5 2 21 3 E.Humphreys c G.H.Hirst 180 F.H.Huish c J.T.Brown W.M.Bradley st D.Hunter 70. Yorkshire v MCC & Ground, Lord’s, May 14, 15, 16 (MCC & Ground won by 182 runs) c W.Storer b J.T.Hearne 24 187 26.5 6 76 6 A.Hearne lbw 346 P.F.Warner b G.J.Thompson b H.I.Young c D.Hunter J.T.Hearne c D.Denton W.Mead c J.T.Brown, jun. b H.I.Young 16 289 29 7 85 3 H.A.Carpenter b 312 C.O.H.Sewell b A.Page lbw 71. Yorkshire v Cambridge University, Fenner’s, May 17, 18, 19 (Yorkshire won by an innings and 15 runs) st T.L.Taylor b A.E.Fernie 42 391 32 11 73 3 E.R.Wilson st D.Hunter 224 S.H.Day c G.H.Hirst T.L.Taylor lbw 28.1 9 68 8 E.R.Wilson c J.T.Brown, sen.152 J.Stanning c G.H.Hirst S.H.Day st D.Hunter E.M.Dowson b T.L.Taylor c D.Hunter J.Daniell c S.Haigh A.E.Hind b G.A.Scott b 72. Yorkshire v Derbyshire, Bramall Lane, May 21, 22, (23) (Match drawn) c W.Storer b J.O’Connor 21 259-8d 31 11 72 7 H.Bagshaw b 175 W.Chatterton b F.A.Barrs b H.S.Pink b J.H.Young c E.Wainwright J.J.Hulme c J.Tunnicliffe W.Bestwick b 2 1 5 1 H.Bagshaw b 9-1 14