Tom Armitage
Encyclopedia
Thomas Armitage was an English
cricketer
, who played in two Tests for England. He holds the distinction, alphabetically sorted, of being the first capped England player.
, Yorkshire
.
He made his first-class
debut for Yorkshire
against Nottinghamshire
at Trent Bridge
in 1872, opening the batting in the first innings. He failed to make much of an impression in the game, scoring 0 and 1, taking 0-19 from eight overs and taking no catches. He next appeared for Yorkshire in 1874 against a United South of England XI, but again did little.
Armitage's county cricket
career took off in 1875, when he took 22 wickets in nine matches at just 7.59 apiece
, including 7-27 against Derbyshire
, and recorded the first of his four half-centuries, 68 not out against Surrey
. In 1876, he played 12 games and claimed 45 wickets, taking 13-46 in a match against Surrey bowling underarm lobs, and making his highest first-class score, of 95, against Middlesex
.
Armitage was selected for the tour of Australia
that winter, and in the spring of 1877 played in the first two Test matches
, both at Melbourne
. He is credited with being the first player to represent England, due to alphabetical order, and is therefore number one in the order of Test caps. However, he did almost nothing, bowling only 12 balls and scoring just 33 runs in three innings, and he never played for England again.
He played for Yorkshire for a couple of years more, achieving some success in 1877, when he took 42 wickets, but he declined in 1878 and played in only one match in 1879, for United North of England against London United. He then emigrated to the United States
, and seven years after his previous game he made one final first-class appearance, for Players of United States of America against Gentlemen of Philadelphia, making 58 and taking 2-25.
Armitage died in Pullman, Chicago
, United States, at the age of 74.
Armitage's grandson, also called Tom, was a professional footballer for Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
who died on New Years Eve 1923, after suffering an injury on the pitch a few days earlier.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
, who played in two Tests for England. He holds the distinction, alphabetically sorted, of being the first capped England player.
Life and career
Armitage was born in SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
He made his first-class
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...
debut for Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
against 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...
at Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as International cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of...
in 1872, opening the batting in the first innings. He failed to make much of an impression in the game, scoring 0 and 1, taking 0-19 from eight overs and taking no catches. He next appeared for Yorkshire in 1874 against a United South of England XI, but again did little.
Armitage's county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
career took off in 1875, when he took 22 wickets in nine matches at just 7.59 apiece
Bowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
, including 7-27 against 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...
, and recorded the first of his four half-centuries, 68 not out against 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...
. In 1876, he played 12 games and claimed 45 wickets, taking 13-46 in a match against Surrey bowling underarm lobs, and making his highest first-class score, of 95, against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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 Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
.
Armitage was selected for the tour of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
that winter, and in the spring of 1877 played in the first two Test matches
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...
, both at Melbourne
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
. He is credited with being the first player to represent England, due to alphabetical order, and is therefore number one in the order of Test caps. However, he did almost nothing, bowling only 12 balls and scoring just 33 runs in three innings, and he never played for England again.
He played for Yorkshire for a couple of years more, achieving some success in 1877, when he took 42 wickets, but he declined in 1878 and played in only one match in 1879, for United North of England against London United. He then emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and seven years after his previous game he made one final first-class appearance, for Players of United States of America against Gentlemen of Philadelphia, making 58 and taking 2-25.
Armitage died in Pullman, Chicago
Pullman, Chicago
Pullman, one of Chicago's 77 community areas, is a neighborhood located on the city's South Side. Twelve miles from the Chicago Loop, Pullman is situated adjacent Lake Calumet....
, United States, at the age of 74.
Armitage's grandson, also called Tom, was a professional footballer for Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
who died on New Years Eve 1923, after suffering an injury on the pitch a few days earlier.