Claud Woolley
Encyclopedia
Claud Neville Woolley was an English cricket
er who played first-class cricket
for Gloucestershire
and Northamptonshire
. He also served as a first-class umpire
and stood in one Test
during the 1948 Ashes series
. A right-hand batsman and right-arm slow-medium bowler, he is the older brother of Frank
who had a more successful playing career including representing England in 64 Tests.
Born in Tonbridge, Woolley began his cricket career with Kent
however he failed to break into the first team, making 18 second XI appearances between 1906 and 1908. He joined Gloucestershire but once again failed to establish himself, making just one first-class appearance in two seasons with the club, the appearance came in 1909 against the touring Australians
, he opened the bowling but took no wickets in eight over
s, he batted at number seven and scored 22. He joined Northamptonshire in 1911, making his debut for the club against the Indian tourists
, he scored 1 not out
batting at number 10 but did take his maiden first-class wicket, dismissing Mukundrao Pai.
That was Woolley’s only appearance in his first season with the club but the following season he was given more opportunities playing ten first-class matches, however he had little success averaging just 10.54 with the bat and taking three wickets. His batting and bowling aggregates improved over the next two seasons, with 670 runs and 15 wickets in 1913 followed by 802 and 28 in 1914. He also scored a maiden century
in 1914 against Somerset
, and a week later achieved his maiden five-for taking 6 wickets for 31 runs (6/31).
Following World War I
Woolley was a regular in the side until 1931, mostly appearing as an opening batsman he passed 1,000 runs in a season on seven occasions between 1921 and 1929. His most productive season came in 1928 when he scored 1,602. His second first-class century came in 1921 and proved to be the highest score of his career and only double century. The innings of 204 not out came against Worcestershire
at Northampton
. His best bowling of his career also occurred in 1921, against Glamorgan
at Cardiff Arms Park
, he took 6/30 in the first innings and followed that with 4/22 as the home side followed on
. The match figures of 10/52 were the only occasion he took ten wickets in a match.
Woolley’s best bowling seasons came directly after the war, he passed 40 wickets in each of the four years between 1919 and 1922, he took nine five-fors in this period. Against Essex
in 1920 he took a hat-trick dismissing Charlie McGahey
, John Freeman and Percy Perrin
with consecutive deliveries.
Woolley played 362 matches for Northamptonshire placing him eighth on the most appearances list, and is the tenth highest scorer for the club with 15,353 runs. He carried his bat
on three occasions.
After retiring as a player he began his umpiring career, standing in 281 matches between 1932 and 1953. He umpired one Test match, the second Test of the 1948 Ashes series. During a match between Warwickshire
and Nottinghamshire
in 1946 Woolley was temporarily required to officiate from both ends as fellow umpire George Beet
was taken ill on the way to the game. After Woolley's umpiring career he worked as groundsman at Northampton until his death aged 76.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
and Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
. He also served as a first-class umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
and stood in one Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
during the 1948 Ashes series
1948 Ashes series
The 1948 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 10 June 1948, England and Australia played five Tests. Australia had not lost a Test since the Second World War and were strong favourites...
. A right-hand batsman and right-arm slow-medium bowler, he is the older brother of Frank
Frank Woolley
Frank Edward Woolley 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...
who had a more successful playing career including representing England in 64 Tests.
Born in Tonbridge, Woolley began his cricket career with Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
however he failed to break into the first team, making 18 second XI appearances between 1906 and 1908. He joined Gloucestershire but once again failed to establish himself, making just one first-class appearance in two seasons with the club, the appearance came in 1909 against the touring Australians
Australian cricket team in England in 1909
The Australian cricket team in England in 1909 played 37 first-class matches including 5 Tests.Australia was captained by Monty Noble. England's captain in the first three Tests was Frederick Fane...
, he opened the bowling but took no wickets in eight over
Over (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, an over is a set of six consecutive balls bowled in succession. An over is normally bowled by a single bowler. However, in the event of injury preventing a bowler from completing an over, it is completed by a teammate....
s, he batted at number seven and scored 22. He joined Northamptonshire in 1911, making his debut for the club against the Indian tourists
Indian cricket team in England in 1911
The Indian cricket team toured England in the 1911 season and played 23 matches, of which 14 were first-class. It was the first tour by an 'All Indian' team...
, he scored 1 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
batting at number 10 but did take his maiden first-class wicket, dismissing Mukundrao Pai.
That was Woolley’s only appearance in his first season with the club but the following season he was given more opportunities playing ten first-class matches, however he had little success averaging just 10.54 with the bat and taking three wickets. His batting and bowling aggregates improved over the next two seasons, with 670 runs and 15 wickets in 1913 followed by 802 and 28 in 1914. He also scored a maiden century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
in 1914 against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
, and a week later achieved his maiden five-for taking 6 wickets for 31 runs (6/31).
Following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Woolley was a regular in the side until 1931, mostly appearing as an opening batsman he passed 1,000 runs in a season on seven occasions between 1921 and 1929. His most productive season came in 1928 when he scored 1,602. His second first-class century came in 1921 and proved to be the highest score of his career and only double century. The innings of 204 not out came against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
at Northampton
County Cricket Ground, Northampton
The County Ground, is a cricket venue on Wantage Road in the Abington area of Northampton, UK. It is home to Northamptonshire County Cricket Club....
. His best bowling of his career also occurred in 1921, against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
at Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
, he took 6/30 in the first innings and followed that with 4/22 as the home side followed on
Follow-on
Follow-on is a term used in the sport of cricket to describe a situation where the team that bats second is forced to take its second batting innings immediately after its first, because the team was not able to get close enough to the score achieved by the first team batting in the first innings...
. The match figures of 10/52 were the only occasion he took ten wickets in a match.
Woolley’s best bowling seasons came directly after the war, he passed 40 wickets in each of the four years between 1919 and 1922, he took nine five-fors in this period. Against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
in 1920 he took a hat-trick dismissing Charlie McGahey
Charlie McGahey
Charles Percy McGahey was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Essex between 1894 and 1921. McGahey also played for London County between 1901 and 1904 and was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1902...
, John Freeman and Percy Perrin
Percy Perrin
Percival Albert Perrin , known as either "Percy" or "Peter", was an English cricketer, who played for Essex as a right-handed, middle-order batsman for more than thirty years from 1896.Perrin was a Tottenham publican and a property developer who organised his considerable business...
with consecutive deliveries.
Woolley played 362 matches for Northamptonshire placing him eighth on the most appearances list, and is the tenth highest scorer for the club with 15,353 runs. He carried his bat
Carry the bat
In cricket, the term carry the bat refers to an opening batsman who is not dismissed when the team innings is closed...
on three occasions.
After retiring as a player he began his umpiring career, standing in 281 matches between 1932 and 1953. He umpired one Test match, the second Test of the 1948 Ashes series. During a match between Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
and Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
in 1946 Woolley was temporarily required to officiate from both ends as fellow umpire George Beet
George Beet, Sr.
George Beet was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1910 and 1925 and for MCC in 1920. He was later an umpire....
was taken ill on the way to the game. After Woolley's umpiring career he worked as groundsman at Northampton until his death aged 76.