Willis Cuttell
Encyclopedia
Willis Robert Cuttell was an English
cricket
er. Along with Albert Hallam
, his support for Briggs
and Mold
gave Lancashire its first official County championship victory in 1897. His bowling was also important to Lancashire's Championship win seven years later, in which they went through the whole season without being beaten.
Cuttell was a slow right-arm bowler who possessed the unusual ability to turn the ball from leg without throwing it up enough to encourage risk-taking batsmen to attack him. He was very accurate in length and also possessed the characteristic break-back of most bowlers of his time, which made him as unplayable as any bowler when the pitch helped him.
He was very slow to move into first-class cricket. Cuttell's early cricket was played for the Accrington Club in the Lancashire League. Having been born in Yorkshire and his father William Cuttell having played for them in the 1860s, he decided to try for a place in the Yorkshire
eleven. However, his form in a couple of matches against opposition that was not recognized as first-class was not encouraging, so that Willis returned to league cricket. From 1891 he shifted to the Nelson Club (later famous as where Ted McDonald
played when qualifying for Lancashire) and proved himself the best bowler in league cricket. In 1895 he took 106 wickets for 8½ runs apiece and in 1893 as many as 118 wickets fell to his bowling in league games.
Cuttell, long qualified by residence for Lancashire
, was finally engaged by them for the season of 1896. He played only two games and then was dropped, but the following year, after a rather slow start, Cuttell showed himself right up to the standard of first-class country cricket. On hard pitches he was never especially difficult, but on the softer pitches at the end of the season he was frequently deadly, taking twelve for 81 in the last match against Nottinghamshire
. His work on soft pitches was deadly enough for him to head the Lancashire averages for all first-class games and was chosen as Cricketer of the Year
by Wisden
.
In 1898, with Hallam ill, Mold injured more than once, and Briggs terribly out of form, Cuttell became the mainstay of Lancashire cricket. Although his wickets were very expensive considering the many rain-affected wickets, his batting advanced so much that he accomplished the "double" of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. He achieved his best haul of eight for 105 against Gloucestershire on a good pitch in July. He toured South Africa because the matting wickets were expected to suit his style, but did nothing of remarkable quality in his only Tests. The following year, with very few pitches to help him, Cuttell was less successful as a bowler and could not gain a place against Australia, but he batted very well, scoring 137 against Nottinghamshire and scoring more runs than in any other season. 1900 saw Cuttell re-assert himself as one of the best bowlers in England, but with Rhodes
and Haigh
establishing themselves as the deadliest bowlers on sticky wickets Cuttell's days as a representative player were over. 1901 to 1903 were very disappointing both in batting and bowling, but in 1904 Cuttell's bowling on several sticky wickets in May was decisive in giving Lancashire a surprise championship win after losing Sydney Barnes
.
Despite a dreadful 1905, Cuttell bowled with deadly effect in 1906, being ahead even of Haigh in the national bowling averages despite taking over 100 fewer wickets. However, aged 43, he had already decided on the post of coach at Rugby
, which he held right through to 1926. At the ripe old age of sixty-three, he then became an umpire
in county matches, but could carry out this role for only two years before his health deteriorated too much.
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. Along with Albert Hallam
Albert Hallam
Albert Hallam was an off spin bowler who is primarily remembered, along with Thomas Wass, for giving Nottinghamshire an astonishing win in the County Championship of 1907...
, his support for Briggs
Johnny Briggs (cricketer)
Johnny Briggs was a left arm spin bowler for Lancashire County Cricket Club between 1879 and 1900 who still stands as the second-highest wicket-taker in the county's history after Brian Statham...
and Mold
Arthur Mold
Arthur Webb Mold was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire County Cricket Club between 1889 and 1901. He played three Test matches for England in 1893 and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1892. A fast bowler, he was one of the most effective bowlers...
gave Lancashire its first official County championship victory in 1897. His bowling was also important to Lancashire's Championship win seven years later, in which they went through the whole season without being beaten.
Cuttell was a slow right-arm bowler who possessed the unusual ability to turn the ball from leg without throwing it up enough to encourage risk-taking batsmen to attack him. He was very accurate in length and also possessed the characteristic break-back of most bowlers of his time, which made him as unplayable as any bowler when the pitch helped him.
He was very slow to move into first-class cricket. Cuttell's early cricket was played for the Accrington Club in the Lancashire League. Having been born in Yorkshire and his father William Cuttell having played for them in the 1860s, he decided to try for a place in the 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....
eleven. However, his form in a couple of matches against opposition that was not recognized as first-class was not encouraging, so that Willis returned to league cricket. From 1891 he shifted to the Nelson Club (later famous as where Ted McDonald
Ted McDonald
Edgar Arthur "Ted" McDonald was a cricketer who played for Tasmania, Victoria, Lancashire and Australia, as well as being an Australian rules footballer who played with Launceston Football Club, Essendon Football Club, and Fitzroy Football Club.A very fast bowler with the...
played when qualifying for Lancashire) and proved himself the best bowler in league cricket. In 1895 he took 106 wickets for 8½ runs apiece and in 1893 as many as 118 wickets fell to his bowling in league games.
Cuttell, long qualified by residence for 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...
, was finally engaged by them for the season of 1896. He played only two games and then was dropped, but the following year, after a rather slow start, Cuttell showed himself right up to the standard of first-class country cricket. On hard pitches he was never especially difficult, but on the softer pitches at the end of the season he was frequently deadly, taking twelve for 81 in the last match 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...
. His work on soft pitches was deadly enough for him to head the Lancashire averages for all first-class games and was chosen as Cricketer of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
by Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
.
In 1898, with Hallam ill, Mold injured more than once, and Briggs terribly out of form, Cuttell became the mainstay of Lancashire cricket. Although his wickets were very expensive considering the many rain-affected wickets, his batting advanced so much that he accomplished the "double" of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. He achieved his best haul of eight for 105 against Gloucestershire on a good pitch in July. He toured South Africa because the matting wickets were expected to suit his style, but did nothing of remarkable quality in his only Tests. The following year, with very few pitches to help him, Cuttell was less successful as a bowler and could not gain a place against Australia, but he batted very well, scoring 137 against Nottinghamshire and scoring more runs than in any other season. 1900 saw Cuttell re-assert himself as one of the best bowlers in England, but with Rhodes
Wilfred Rhodes
Wilfred Rhodes was an English professional cricketer who played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930. In Tests, Rhodes took 127 wickets in and scored 2,325 runs, becoming the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches...
and Haigh
Schofield Haigh
Schofield Haigh was a Yorkshire and England cricketer. He played for eighteen seasons for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, for England from the 1898/99 tour to 1912, and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1901....
establishing themselves as the deadliest bowlers on sticky wickets Cuttell's days as a representative player were over. 1901 to 1903 were very disappointing both in batting and bowling, but in 1904 Cuttell's bowling on several sticky wickets in May was decisive in giving Lancashire a surprise championship win after losing 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...
.
Despite a dreadful 1905, Cuttell bowled with deadly effect in 1906, being ahead even of Haigh in the national bowling averages despite taking over 100 fewer wickets. However, aged 43, he had already decided on the post of coach at Rugby
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, which he held right through to 1926. At the ripe old age of sixty-three, he then became an 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...
in county matches, but could carry out this role for only two years before his health deteriorated too much.