Frank Woolley

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Frank Woolley England (Eng)

Batting style	Left-handed batsman
Bowling type	Orthodox slow left-arm, also left-arm medium
	Tests	First-class
Matches	64	978
Runs scored	3,283	58,959
Batting average	36.07	40.77
100s/50s	5/23	145/295
Top score	154	305*
Balls bowled	6,495	94,949
Wickets	83	2,066
Bowling average	33.91	19.87
5 wickets in innings	4	132
10 wickets in match	1	28
Best bowling	7-76	8-22
Catches/stumpings	64/0	1,018/0
Test debut: 9 August 1909 Last Test: 22 August 1934 Source: [1]

Frank Edward Woolley (born 27 May 1887 in Tonbridge, Kent, died 18 October 1978 in Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada) was an English cricketer, one of the finest all-rounders the game has seen. In a career lasting more than thirty years, he scored more first-class runs than anyone but Sir Jack Hobbs and took over 2,000 wickets at an average of under 20. He is also the only non-wicket-keeper to have held more than 1,000 catches.

After making his debut for Kent in 1906, he fast established himself as a great all-rounder, especially in County Cricket. No one else scored 2000 runs and took 100 wickets in a season more often, a feat he performed in 1914 and 1921-23. Only W.G. Grace scored a century and took ten wickets in a match more often. Just as impressive was his consistency, despite a relatively modest average of 40.75 in first-class cricket, he scored one thousand runs in a season 28 times, a record equaled only by W.G. Grace.

Great as were his accomplishments, still greater was the appreciation of his play. According to R.C. Robertson-Glasgow "when you wrote about him, there weren't enough words. In describing a great innings by Woolley, and few of them were not great in artistry, you had to be careful with your adjectives and stack them in little rows". R.L.Arrowsmith wrote "his average rate of scoring has been exceeded only by Jessop ("the Croucher") and equaled by Trumper. His philosophy was to dominate the bowler. "When I am batting," he said, "I am the attack." "

Woolley played 64 Test matches between 1909 and 1934, coincidentally both topping and tailing his international career with games against Australia at The Oval. He was made a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1911. In county cricket he spent his entire career (1906 - 1938) with Kent County Cricket Club, making his mark in his third game when he produced match figures of 95 runs and 8-119 with the ball to help Kent to a one-wicket win.