SJS said:
Reasons for liking Fuller Pilch
A legend in his own lifetime, a key member of the first great county side and the greatest batsman ever known until the appearance of W. G. Grace, Pilch was the pioneer of forward play; he taught the world the art of placing the ball in front of the wicket with a stroke which has gone down to posterity as 'Pilch's Poke'. This always amazes me:
Most Runs in the 1834 English First Class Cricket Season:
Name Matches Inns Not Out Runs HS Ave 100 50
F Pilch 7 12 3 551 153* 61.22 2 3
T Marsden 7 13 1 156 34 13.00 0 0
R Kynaston 6 12 2 137 32 13.69 0 0
H Jenner 5 10 0 107 18 10.69 0 0
J Cobbett 5 8 1 106 37 15.14 0 0
Although admittedly it is no more spectacular than this...
Most Runs in the 1871 English First Class Cricket Season:
Name Matches Inns Not Out Runs HS Ave 100 50
WG Grace 25 39 4 2739 268 78.25 10 9
H Jupp 24 46 2 1068 97 24.27 0 5
EW Pooley 22 40 1 926 125 23.74 1 4
R Humphrey 19 37 3 786 116* 23.11 1 2
CI Thornton 17 30 0 746 111 24.86 1 3
SJS said:
and disliking Syd Gregory ??
The fact that he was given chance after chance despite years of persistent failure, the selectors absurdly just stuck with him even though they had many better alternatives. Surely the luckiest cricketer ever to play 50 Tests, between 1901 and the end of his career, Gregory averaged 20.37, yet that end did not come for another 11 years.
