Frank Woolley
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| Frank Woolley | ||||
 England |
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| Personal information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Frank Edward Woolley | |||
| Born | 27 May 1887 | |||
| Tonbridge, Kent, England | ||||
| Died | 18 October 1978 (aged 91) | |||
| Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada | ||||
| Role | All-rounder | |||
| Batting style | Left-handed | |||
| Bowling style | Left-arm medium Slow left-arm orthodox |
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| International information | ||||
| Test debut (cap 163) | 9 August 1909: v Australia | |||
| Last Test | 22 August 1934: v Australia | |||
| Domestic team information | ||||
| Years | Team | |||
| 1906 – 1938 | Kent | |||
| 1909 – 1930 | MCC | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Tests | FC | |||
| Matches | 64 | 978 | ||
| Runs scored | 3283 | 58959 | ||
| Batting average | 36.07 | 40.77 | ||
| 100s/50s | 5/23 | 145/295 | ||
| Top score | 154 | 305* | ||
| Balls bowled | 6495 | 94824 | ||
| Wickets | 83 | 2066 | ||
| 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/– | 1018/– | ||
|
As of 18 October 1978 |
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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. [1] 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. His batting was remarkable both for his well documented elegance and his rapidity of scoring.
After making his debut for Kent in 1906, he fast established himself as a great all-rounder,[2] 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, he averaged 40.75 in first-class cricket and scored one thousand runs in a season 28 times, a record equaled only by W.G. Grace.
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." " To this day his 205 minute triple century for the MCC vs Tasmania remains the second fastest ever scored, bettered only by Denis Compton. [3]
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 played under no less than 14 different captains for England, a record in Test cricket. 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.
Woolley Way in Maidstone, Kent (in an area where all the streets are named after Kent county cricketers) is named in his honour.
In July 2000 he was inducted into the The Federation of International Cricketers Associations' Hall of Fame. [4]
[edit] Note
The first-class career statistics quoted in this article do not include one match whose first-class status is disputed, but which is included in publications such as Wisden Cricketers' Almanack and the Playfair Cricket Annual. In this match, Woolley took two wickets and scored 10 runs.
For more information see Variations in first-class cricket statistics.
