The Interesting Case of Dodger Whysall

[Goughy]

Dodger Whysall was a cricketer that was slow to mature, he didn't make his Test debut for England until he was 37 years old during the 1925 tour to Australia. Despite an early career that was interrupted by WWI, Whysall went on to become a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1925 and was a good allround cricketer who could take the gloves if needed. In 1929 Dodger Whysall was the leading batsman for Nottinghamshire with 2,716 runs as they won the County Championship. A batsman of immense patience and sturdy defensive, he earned a recall to the England team in the summer of 1930 only to watch Bradman's magestic 232 at the Oval as Australia won by an innings. He would not live until the next year.

Barely two months after this Test, Whysall was dead. He slipped on a dance floor and injured his elbow, and died within two weeks from septicaemia despite a blood transfusion.

In my opinion, it is an amazingly quick and bizarre end to a life and a tragic story that probably isn't very well known.

 

[fredfertang]

Whysall got better with age - he got 2,000 runs in a season five times - they were the last five seasons of his career - he was 38 in the first of them

 

[Goughy]

Just amazing to me how scary things must have been in the pre-antibiotic age and the fact that they are such a recent discovery.

 

[archie mac]

Intersting stuff, I enjoyed reading that

 

[BoyBrumby]

I must admit I'd never even heard of the gentleman until now. Interesting stuff.

 

[Richard]

Just amazing to me how scary things must have been in the pre-antibiotic age and the fact that they are such a recent discovery.

Yup, have thought that so many times. Something as simple and easy-to-do as that can be a life-destroyer.

I had heard of Dodger Whysall before, but no more than passing mention, and by complete chance - he's mentioned in a piece of commentary from the Fifth Test of 1930 - "Sutcliffe and Whysall... going to the wicket to continue their innings... Whysall being 6*... and Sutcliffe... 8*". I looked him up after that and found-out that he'd died just a few months after that Test. Didn't know what the cause was until now though.