Name:

Spofforth, Frederick R

Nickname:

Demon

Date of Birth:

09 Sep 1853

Gender:

Male

Place of Birth:

Balmain, Sydney

Career:

Test: 1877 - 1887
First Class: 1874 - 1888

Teams:

Australia (Country)
NSW (Regional)
Derbyshire (Regional)

Spofforth and the Ashes myth

Fred Spofforth: Demon pace bowler was aggressive and accurate

Born : September 9, 1853 at Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales
Died : June 4, 1926, Ditton Hill Lodge, Long Ditton, Surrey, England

Fred Spofforth was a tall, accurate, right arm quick bowler who used swing and seam movement to get batsman out. He opted to sit out the first ever Test match at the MCG in 1877 as Billy Murdoch was not selected. He did play in the 2nd Test in that series making his mark by getting the better of W G Grace

The Australian is best known for becoming the first player in the history of the game to take a Test match hat-trick, achieving the feat against England at Melbourne in January 1879.

In 1881, he rode horseback for over 400 miles to play a minor match in Australia. He took all 20 wickets in this game.

In his 18 Test appearances he took an impressive 94 wickets, claiming four ten-wicket hauls, with a career best of 14-90 against England in 1882. Regarded as a fantastic athlete, with outstanding stamina, he was one of the most popular Australian cricketers at the end of the 19th century.

He played his last Test in 1887. After retirement, he migrated to England and became a director of the Star Tea Company. He also played a few seasons for Derbyshire.

Spofforth was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Australian Hall of Fame in 1996.

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter