Herbert Strudwick
Encyclopedia
Herbert Strudwick (January 28, 1880, Mitcham
, Surrey
, England
– February 14, 1970 in Shoreham-by-Sea
, Sussex
) was an English
wicket-keeper
. During his career, his record of 1493 dismissals is the third-highest by any wicket-keeper in the history of first-class cricket.
Not much of a batsman, he nonetheless twice added over 100 for the last wicket with Bill Hitch (one of only four pairs with more than one tenth-wicket century stand in first-class cricket
).
Tom Richardson
and William Lockwood
and the exceptionally wet weather of that summer. From that time on, Strudwick became regarded as the natural successor to Dick Lilley
as England's Test
wicket-keeper, and he toured Australian in 1903/1904 without playing a Test.
Continuing his good form, Strudwick maintained his place among the top wicket-keepers right through the 1900s and played his first Test in 1909/1910 against South Africa. In 1911, though overshadowed in county cricket by Kent veteran Fred Huish
, Studwick was chosen as the first-choice wicket-keeper to Australia because of his relative youth and did not disappoint, taking the bowling of Frank Foster and Sydney Barnes
with skill. His skill was seen to even greater effect taking Barnes on the matting wickets of South Africa in 1914: with Barnes' bowling bouncing and turning. In the following season, Strudwick's skill was an essential part of Surrey's success in winning the County Championship
for the only time during his career.
After World War I
halted county cricket, Strudwick re-established himself in the England side until he retired in 1927 - though he was dropped to improve the batting during the disastrous 1921 series against Armstrong's Australian. After his playing days he became a respected coach and for many years was the Surrey scorer.
In his later years Strudwick, renowned for his abstinence from tobacco
and alcohol
at a time when the health of sportsmen was not taken seriously, wrote many articles about the game in Wisden. The most famous of these is From Dr. Grace to Peter May in the 1959 Wisden, which outlines how Strudwick saw the game both during his career and as a spectator after retiring.
Mitcham
Mitcham is a district in the south west area of London, in the London Borough of Merton. A suburban area, Mitcham is located on the border of Inner London and Outer London. It is both residentially and financially developed, well served by Transport for London, and home to Mitcham Town Centre,...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
– February 14, 1970 in Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
. During his career, his record of 1493 dismissals is the third-highest by any wicket-keeper in the history of first-class cricket.
Not much of a batsman, he nonetheless twice added over 100 for the last wicket with Bill Hitch (one of only four pairs with more than one tenth-wicket century stand in 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...
).
Biography
Born in Mitcham, Strudwick took to wicket-keeping, apparently on the advice of a local lady, at the age of ten. He first played for Surrey in a few games in 1902, but during his first full season the following year dismissed a record 91 batsmen (71 catches and 20 stumpings) - a feat made more remarkable by the decline of Surrey's top fast bowlersFast bowling
Fast bowling, sometimes known as pace bowling, is one of the two main approaches to bowling in the sport of cricket. The other is spin bowling...
Tom Richardson
Tom Richardson
Tom Richardson was an English cricketer. A fast bowler, Richardson relied to a great extent on the break-back , a relatively long run-up and high arm which allowed him to gain sharp lift on fast pitches even from the full, straight length he always bowled...
and William Lockwood
William Lockwood
William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood William 'Bill' Lockwood (William Henry Lockwood; born 25 March 1868, Radford, Nottingham; died 26 April 1932, Radford, Nottingham was a fast bowler and the unpredictable, occasionally devastating counterpart to the amazingly hard-working Tom...
and the exceptionally wet weather of that summer. From that time on, Strudwick became regarded as the natural successor to Dick Lilley
Dick Lilley
Arthur Frederick Augustus Lilley was an English cricketer who played in 35 Tests from 1896 to 1909, more than any other England wicket-keeper in the first sixty years of Test cricket.The conservative cricket establishment of the time was not effusive in its appreciation of this great keeper...
as England's 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...
wicket-keeper, and he toured Australian in 1903/1904 without playing a Test.
Continuing his good form, Strudwick maintained his place among the top wicket-keepers right through the 1900s and played his first Test in 1909/1910 against South Africa. In 1911, though overshadowed in county cricket by Kent veteran Fred Huish
Fred Huish
Frederick Henry Huish was one of the major factors behind Kent's success in the County Championship in the decade prior to World War I and arguably the best wicket-keeper never to play Test cricket...
, Studwick was chosen as the first-choice wicket-keeper to Australia because of his relative youth and did not disappoint, taking the bowling of Frank Foster and Sydney Barnes
Sydney Barnes
Sydney Francis Barnes was an English professional cricketer who is generally regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the sport's history...
with skill. His skill was seen to even greater effect taking Barnes on the matting wickets of South Africa in 1914: with Barnes' bowling bouncing and turning. In the following season, Strudwick's skill was an essential part of Surrey's success in winning the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
for the only time during his career.
After 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...
halted county cricket, Strudwick re-established himself in the England side until he retired in 1927 - though he was dropped to improve the batting during the disastrous 1921 series against Armstrong's Australian. After his playing days he became a respected coach and for many years was the Surrey scorer.
In his later years Strudwick, renowned for his abstinence from tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
at a time when the health of sportsmen was not taken seriously, wrote many articles about the game in Wisden. The most famous of these is From Dr. Grace to Peter May in the 1959 Wisden, which outlines how Strudwick saw the game both during his career and as a spectator after retiring.