Thomas Foster (cricketer, born 1848)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Foster was an English
cricket
er who played for Derbyshire
between 1873 and 1884. He topped the scoring for the club in three seasons.
Foster was born in Mill Town, Glossop
, the son of Robert Foster a cotton weaver. He started playing cricket for local Glossop clubs but went professional with the Clifford Club, in Manchester in 1872.
In the following 1873 season
, Foster made his debut for Derbyshire in a match against Lancashire
playing in the middle order to make 17 and 8, although the match was lost. He made a similar performance in one match in the 1874 season
in a victory against Kent
, when he also took a wicket. Foster came into his own during the 1875 season
, making several excellent appearances at the crease in the middle-order during this season in some good wins for Derbyshire. He was top scorer for the club in the season with 227 runs He played all the club's matches in the 1876
, 1877
and 1878 season
s with steady batting, but none to match 1875. In the 1879 season
, he was top scorer again with 269 and topped the batting averages, while in the 1880 season
he made 322 to become top scorer again. In 1880 he played as part of a Gentlemen v. Players match. He played regularly in the 1881
, 1882
and 1883 season
s. In his final year at the club, in the 1884 season
, he played five games, dropping to the tailend in the final fixture of his career and losing out to Yorkshire in his final match. While playing for Derbyshire he played at club level for Glossop, the Raistrick Club in Yorkshire and for Market Bosworth.
Foster was a right-handed batsman and played 167 innings in 90 first-class matches. His top score was 101 and his average 16.11. He was also an occasional wicket-keeper and a right-arm round-arm fast bowler taking 9 wickets at an average of 25.88.
Before 1881 he had become a licenced victualler, running the "Arundel Arms", a pub with accommodation, at Glossop or Hadfield
and by 1883 he was running the "Pear Tree" at East Glossop.
Foster returned to the game as an umpire, being active in 1889. During the 1892 season, Foster umpired ten first-class matches in the County Championship
.
Foster married Hannah Woodward and had a family. He died in East Glossop at the age of 81.
Foster was of no relation to Fostershire
, the seven brothers, all surnamed Foster, who played for Worcestershire
in the early 20th century.
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...
cricket
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 for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
between 1873 and 1884. He topped the scoring for the club in three seasons.
Foster was born in Mill Town, Glossop
Glossop
Glossop is a market town within the Borough of High Peak in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the Glossop Brook, a tributary of the River Etherow, about east of the city of Manchester, west of the city of Sheffield. Glossop is situated near Derbyshire's county borders with Cheshire, Greater...
, the son of Robert Foster a cotton weaver. He started playing cricket for local Glossop clubs but went professional with the Clifford Club, in Manchester in 1872.
In the following 1873 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1873
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1873 was the third cricket season which the English club Derbyshire played. Officials and supporters were disappointed that they had been unable to arrange further first-class fixtures than the two against Lancashire, but they managed to arrange an extra match...
, Foster made his debut for Derbyshire in a match against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
playing in the middle order to make 17 and 8, although the match was lost. He made a similar performance in one match in the 1874 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1874
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1874 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire earned the title of Champion County in their fourth year playing as a club. Kent joined Lancashire to make the second County side to play first class matches against Derbyshire in 1874...
in a victory against 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...
, when he also took a wicket. Foster came into his own during the 1875 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1875
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1875 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their fifth season. Nottinghamshire had played informal matches aggainst Derbyshire in previous seasons, and joined Lancashire and Kent to make a third County side playing first class matches...
, making several excellent appearances at the crease in the middle-order during this season in some good wins for Derbyshire. He was top scorer for the club in the season with 227 runs He played all the club's matches in the 1876
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1876
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1876 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their sixth season.Hampshire replaced Nottinghamshire as the third county to play Derbyshire, together with Lancashire and Kent. Derbyshire also played their first match against an MCC side, which...
, 1877
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1877
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1877 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their seventh season.Yorkshire joined Hampshire, Lancashire and Kent as the fourth county to play Derbyshire. John Platts became the first cricketer to score a century for Derbyshire.-1877...
and 1878 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1878
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1878 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their eighth season.Nottinghamshire played Derbyshire again after a two year break, joining Yorkshire Hampshire, Lancashire and Kent as the fifth county to play Derbyshire-1878 season:In 1878,...
s with steady batting, but none to match 1875. In the 1879 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1879
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1879 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their ninth season.Of the county sides Derbyshire played in the previous year they had matches against Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. However they did not play Hampshire or Kent...
, he was top scorer again with 269 and topped the batting averages, while in the 1880 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1880
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1880 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their tenth season.Derbyshire played Lancashire and Yorkshire who they had played in the previous season...
he made 322 to become top scorer again. In 1880 he played as part of a Gentlemen v. Players match. He played regularly in the 1881
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1881
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1881 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for ten years. The team played nine first class matches and won two of them-1881 season:...
, 1882
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1882
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1882 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for eleven years. The team played eight first class matches and won one of them-1882 season:...
and 1883 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1883
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1883 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for twelve years. They won two first class matches out of ten.-1883 season:...
s. In his final year at the club, in the 1884 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1884
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1884 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for thirteen years. They lost all ten county matches and their only victory was against MCC.-1884 season:...
, he played five games, dropping to the tailend in the final fixture of his career and losing out to Yorkshire in his final match. While playing for Derbyshire he played at club level for Glossop, the Raistrick Club in Yorkshire and for Market Bosworth.
Foster was a right-handed batsman and played 167 innings in 90 first-class matches. His top score was 101 and his average 16.11. He was also an occasional wicket-keeper and a right-arm round-arm fast bowler taking 9 wickets at an average of 25.88.
Before 1881 he had become a licenced victualler, running the "Arundel Arms", a pub with accommodation, at Glossop or Hadfield
Hadfield, Derbyshire
Hadfield is a parish and small residential town in High Peak, Derbyshire, England. It lies very close to the River Etherow which forms the border between Derbyshire and Greater Manchester...
and by 1883 he was running the "Pear Tree" at East Glossop.
Foster returned to the game as an umpire, being active in 1889. During the 1892 season, Foster umpired ten first-class matches in the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
.
Foster married Hannah Woodward and had a family. He died in East Glossop at the age of 81.
Foster was of no relation to Fostershire
Fostershire
"Fostershire" was a name jocularly applied to Worcestershire County Cricket Club in the early part of the 20th century, shortly after the county had achieved first-class status and admission into the English County Championship...
, the seven brothers, all surnamed Foster, who played for 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...
in the early 20th century.