Neville Knox
Encyclopedia
Neville Alexander Knox was an English fast bowler of the late 1900s and effectively the successor to Tom Richardson
and William Lockwood
in the Surrey
team. Because of his profession as a singer, Knox's career was short, but he was undoubtedly the fastest bowler of his time and one of the fastest bowlers ever to play for England – probably capable of speeds over 150 km/h (93 mph).
Knox attended Dulwich College
. He played two matches for Surrey in 1904 without achieving a great deal, but the following year, aided by some fiery pitches at The Oval
, advanced so much that he was an excellent backup to Walter Lees
in a major Surrey revival. Although he was expensive on true pitches Knox took 129 wickets for less than 22 runs each, and his promise was clearly noted, though even then the length (over 20 metres – very long for the time) of his run-up was seen as taking a great deal of energy out of him and it was thought Knox would have trouble coping with arduous seasons.
The following season – one with hardly a day of rain in the Home Counties
after early May – bore out almost all that was thought of Knox. When sound, he was clearly the fastest bowler seen for a long time in county cricket and, even on much truer Oval pitches, he was able to make the ball rise dangerously. He could also spin the ball back from the off as much as Richardson at his best. Early in the season, his bowling was beyond everything else the factor behind Surrey rising to the top of the table, and at times - notably against Leicestershire and Sussex at the Oval - his pace could bowl sides out cheaply on even the best of pitches. However, from the middle of June, the strain of bowling on such hard, sun-soaked pitches took its toll and Knox suffered constantly from shin strains. These strains kept him out of nine of Surrey's last sixteen matches and according to Wisden, Knox "often played when he should have been resting." Nonetheless, his twelve wickets for 174 against the Players at Lord's in July is still remembered as perhaps the fastest bowling ever seen in the history of Gentlemen v Players games: some of the professional batsmen were literally intimidated. Knox was rewarded for this and his superb early season form with nomination as a Cricketer of the Year by Wisden.
In 1907, though a wet summer severely restricted his opportunities, a superb effort against a powerful South African team earned Knox a place in the second Test
at Headingley
. This turned out to be a grievous error because he was a mere passenger on a very soft pitch, and even at The Oval in the third Test Knox did not achieve much. Indeed, not playing a regularly as before, Knox took only 44 County Championship wickets and 70 in all games - as against 117 and 144 in 1906.
At the end of 1907, Knox announced he would playing no more first-class cricket
, but soon before the 1908 season began it was expected he would play regularly in July and August. A superb performance for the Gentlemen at the Oval gave Surrey great hope he would be as good as in 1906, but he only played in three matches, and in 1909 could spare no time for cricket at all. 1910 saw Knox back in the Surrey eleven for five matches, in which he bowled as well as before, but after July he could never again spare any time for county cricket – thus ending a brief but brilliant career.
In the Great War Knox joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
as a Lieutenant, being promoted to Captain in 1919 and ending his army career as a Major.
Continuing his career as a singer, Neville Knox was in poor health for many years before his death in 1935.
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...
in the Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
team. Because of his profession as a singer, Knox's career was short, but he was undoubtedly the fastest bowler of his time and one of the fastest bowlers ever to play for England – probably capable of speeds over 150 km/h (93 mph).
Knox attended Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
. He played two matches for Surrey in 1904 without achieving a great deal, but the following year, aided by some fiery pitches at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, advanced so much that he was an excellent backup to Walter Lees
Walter Lees
Walter Scott Lees was a Surrey and English cricketer who played in 5 Tests against South Africa in 1906....
in a major Surrey revival. Although he was expensive on true pitches Knox took 129 wickets for less than 22 runs each, and his promise was clearly noted, though even then the length (over 20 metres – very long for the time) of his run-up was seen as taking a great deal of energy out of him and it was thought Knox would have trouble coping with arduous seasons.
The following season – one with hardly a day of rain in the Home Counties
Home Counties
The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...
after early May – bore out almost all that was thought of Knox. When sound, he was clearly the fastest bowler seen for a long time in county cricket and, even on much truer Oval pitches, he was able to make the ball rise dangerously. He could also spin the ball back from the off as much as Richardson at his best. Early in the season, his bowling was beyond everything else the factor behind Surrey rising to the top of the table, and at times - notably against Leicestershire and Sussex at the Oval - his pace could bowl sides out cheaply on even the best of pitches. However, from the middle of June, the strain of bowling on such hard, sun-soaked pitches took its toll and Knox suffered constantly from shin strains. These strains kept him out of nine of Surrey's last sixteen matches and according to Wisden, Knox "often played when he should have been resting." Nonetheless, his twelve wickets for 174 against the Players at Lord's in July is still remembered as perhaps the fastest bowling ever seen in the history of Gentlemen v Players games: some of the professional batsmen were literally intimidated. Knox was rewarded for this and his superb early season form with nomination as a Cricketer of the Year by Wisden.
In 1907, though a wet summer severely restricted his opportunities, a superb effort against a powerful South African team earned Knox a place in the second 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...
at Headingley
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
. This turned out to be a grievous error because he was a mere passenger on a very soft pitch, and even at The Oval in the third Test Knox did not achieve much. Indeed, not playing a regularly as before, Knox took only 44 County Championship wickets and 70 in all games - as against 117 and 144 in 1906.
At the end of 1907, Knox announced he would playing no more 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...
, but soon before the 1908 season began it was expected he would play regularly in July and August. A superb performance for the Gentlemen at the Oval gave Surrey great hope he would be as good as in 1906, but he only played in three matches, and in 1909 could spare no time for cricket at all. 1910 saw Knox back in the Surrey eleven for five matches, in which he bowled as well as before, but after July he could never again spare any time for county cricket – thus ending a brief but brilliant career.
In the Great War Knox joined the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
as a Lieutenant, being promoted to Captain in 1919 and ending his army career as a Major.
Continuing his career as a singer, Neville Knox was in poor health for many years before his death in 1935.