Name:

Rhodes, Wilfred

Date of Birth:

29 Oct 1877

Gender:

Men

Place of Birth:

Kirkheaton, Yorkshire, England

Date Died:

08 Jul 1973

Career:

Test: 1899 - 1930
First Class: 1898 - 1930

Teams:

Yorkshire (Regional)
England (Country)

England team leave for 1920/21 Ashes series in Australia

Wilfred Rhodes: Oldest Test player, top notch allrounder

Born : 29 October 1877 at North Moor, Kirkheaton, Yorkshire, England
Died : 8 July 1973 at Branksome Park, Dorset, England

Wilfred Rhodes was a Yorkshireman with extraordinary longevity in the game. He was still playing Test cricket into his fifties and is the only man to appear in over 1 000 first-class matches.

As an all-rounder he was a solid right-handed batsman and skillful left-arm spinner who used variations of flight to beat the bat. He is one of the few men to have batted in all 11 positions in the order in Tests, although many of his innings were as an opener.

The 1903/04 series in Australia was his most successful with the ball, taking 31 wickets at an average of 15.74.

In 1926, Rhodes was recalled for the final Test of the Ashes series. The series was 0-0 with just the Oval match to play. He took 4-44 in Australia's second innings to seal victory and the series.

His final Test cricket was played in the Caribbean in early 1930 at the age of 52 - surely a record that will stand forever.

He scored 39,802 first-class runs and is the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket with over 4187 scalps.

Rhodes holds the following World Records:

• Most appearances: 1,110 first-class matches.

• Most wickets taken: 4,204 wickets.

• The Double: He completed the feat of scoring 1,000 runs and taking 100 wickets in an English cricket season a record 16 times.

• Oldest Test Player: He is the oldest player to have appeared in a Test match, playing his final Test in 1930 at the age of 52 years and 165 days.

• Test Double: He was the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches.

• Longevity: His Test career for England spanned 31 years (1899–1930).

In retirement, Rhodes coached Harrow school. He went blind in later life, but would still attend games and follow them by ear. Neville Cardus summed him up perfectly: "He was Yorkshire cricket personified".

Source: CricketCrowd Staff Reporter