FREDERICK ROBERT SPOFFORTH - "THE DEMON BOWLER"
9 June 1888
In all branches of sport it has occurred that certain individuals have been destined to stand out in prominence amongst their fellows and by their exceptional prowess achieve reputations completely overshadowing their contemporaries in the particular sport or pastime upon which their energies and abilities hava been concentrated. So pronounced indeed has been this comparative individual euperority in certain notable instances, especially during the last quarter of a century, that champions may bs pointed to who by common assent have bad no rivals in the past and whose equals are no moro likely to be discovered in the immediate future than Is tho world to produoe another Shakespeare.
Prominent amongst these exceptional celebrities in sport are W. G. Grace THE cricketer oi all time, John Roberts who even in these days of mammoth breaks stands unrivalled as an exponent of the most skilful of all indoor games, William Beach who has thrice defeated a champion who previously reigned alone, the late ill fated Matthew Webb who showed his admiring fellow countrymen a novel method by which an athlete and determined Englishman could reach the French coast unaided by modern appliance of any sort. Hutchens the famous sprinter with whom in his best day none could be found to make a match, the mighty Tom Sayers the pride of athletics Britain, and pre-eminently poor Fred Archer the non-pareil of the saddle whose head and hands earned him a larger income than that of the Lord Chancellor with an amount of public adulation and popularity thrown in that might have been envied by royalty itself.
It can hardly be considered a stretch of justice to add the name of the "demon bowler" to this list of notables, for though probably at the present time, Charley Turner, the deserving idol of the hour would be declared by a plebiscite of Australians to stand unrivalled amongst bowlers of the past or present. It must be remembered that "Spoff" has maintained his great reputation for over 13 years, and that it is 10 years since he and brave old Harry Boyle electrified England by a performance at Lord's which in a match of similar importance has never been approached in any part of the world, and of which more anon.
It is not oustomary tor the history of a celebrity to be presented to newspaper readers during tbe temporary absence ot that personage from public prominence, but tne departure of Mr. Spofforth by the Orizaba for England, where it is his intention to settle permanently, is an event of such importance in connection with Australian cricket that the fitting opportunity is taken to present readers of The Leader with a brief review of his career.
Frederick Robert Spofforth was born in Balmain, near Sydney, New South Wales, on 9th September, 1855, and is therefore in his thirty-third year. His father, who first visited Australia in 1829 with Captain (afterwards Sir James) Stirling, the coloniser of Swan River, Western Australia, after returning to England visited New Zealand with Captain (now Sir George) Grey, and there married a daughter of Captain O'Donnell. This lady was a connection of Lord Lyttelton's family, and therefore tho subject of this sketch may be said to have come from a cricketing stock.
Fred Spofforth was educated at Eglinton College, Glebe Point, Sydney, where ha first learnt his crickot, and in 1870-71 was a useful member of. the Newtown Cricket club, winning trophies both for batting and bowling. In the season 1871-72 he joined the Albert Club, then the strongest cricket organisation in New South Wales, and up to the time of his becoming associated with the first Australian Eleven at the close of 1877 won the bowling trophy each season in succession. His first appearance tor the colony of New South Wales against Victoria was made in tho seventeenth intercolonial match, played at Melbourne in December 1874. The match, which resulted in the victory of New South Wales by 7 wickets, was also remarkable tor introducing Horan and Blackbam to intercolonial honors, and each of the three debutants acquitted himself in a manner which gave hopeful promise of the future excellence displayed by each and all of the since famous trio.
Spofforth in his only innings made 21 before being bowled by old Sam Cosstick, and in each innings captured 3 Victorian wickets. Horan scored 3 and 22, and Blackham, in addition to making 32 and 5, caught 3 and stumped 1 of the 13 New South Wales wickets which fell. J. Slight also made his first appearance tor the colony in this match, but only scored 0 aud 7 not out.
Since that time The Demon has frequently dons good service tor his native colony, but it was as a representative Australian crioketer in England that he performed his most remarkable feats, and fairly earned his now familiar soubriquet. Spofforth has been a member of every Australian eleven except the present one, and it has strangely and unexpectedly transpired that the team now in England will before their tour is more than half over also probably have the benefit of his services as he will reach England about the middle of July.
On his first appearance in the old country with Conway's eleven in 1870 he bowled against Nottinghamshire 112 balls for 39 runs and a wicket The weather was cold and raw, and the Australians who had only been in Eugland a week were badly beaten by the Lace County in one innings. It would be impossible here to follow the celebrated bowler'a performances in England from that time until the close of 1886, but the remarkable and historical incidents of the next match demand more than a passing glance for the oldest cricket readers never tire of hearing the story retold.
It was less than a week after the defeat at Trent Bridge that the pioneer Australian team ventured into tho field at historic Lord's to oppose the full force of the famous Marylebone Club and ground. The British public though perhaps sympathising with these adventurous strangers from a terra incograta beyond the seas whose vaulting ambition had so disastrously o'er leaped itself, were half amused at their temerity, and the mighty W. G. smote the first ball of the match (delivered by Allan) for 4. It was recorded by an eye witness that " a laugh was elioited all round the ground." The champion, however, was caught off the next ball, and Boyle bowling Booth for 0, two wicketshad fallen tor 25 runs.
When the happiest inspiration that ever took possession of that prince of skippers, Dave Gregory brought about a result which electrified England and made Australian cricket famous in a single day. Spofforth (to uso a well worn phrase) "relieved " Allan, and the remainder of this remarkable innings will bear describing in detail. The tall slim youth, who at that time looked as though the keen east wind would cut him in half, clean bowled Hornby after 2 runs had been added, and A. J. Vebbe, then captain of Oxford University, met a similar fate after scoring 1. Ridley was caught off Boyle and Wild was bowled by him, but little did the spectators (as they gazed at the ominous record of 6 wickets for 31) dream of the wonders that were to immediately follow.
It was the next over that caused Spofforth to be dubbed "The Demon." The first ball bowled George Hearne, off the second Shaw was stumped by Murdoch, and the third brought a similar fate to Vernon. Poor Fred Morley, then in the prime of life, had just time to make 1 when his partner Flowers was caught and bowled by the Sydney boy and the innings closed for 33. Five wickets had fallen for 3 runs, and one of them was a leg-bye.
Spofforth had bowled 23 balls for 6 wickets and 4 runs. After the Australians had topped their opponents score by only 8 runs, M.C.C. and ground started their second innings which was even more sensational than tha first. To make a short story shorter, it was finished in 69 balls, Spofforth getting 4 wickets for 16 runs and Boyle six for 3.
It need hardly be said that the wicket was essentially a bowler's, but even so, considering the importance of the contest, it remains to this day the most remarkable match on record, 31 wickets falling, and the whole thing being over in four hours and a half actual play. From that memorable day Spofforth has been recognised in England as the most dangerous bowler living, and though on certain wickets Peate, Palmer, Giffen, Emmett, Turner, Ferris and others might bowl as diflioult a ball, there has never been a bowler in either hemisphere who, when it came to a case of forcing wickets by demoniacal irresistibility, could hold a candle to "The Demon."
Other bowlers might keep down runs by maintaining a good length, and wait patiently the wickets to come through the batsmen's mistakes, but "Spoff's" attack was of an avalanche character sweeping all before it. His deadly "wind jammer" especially striking terror to batsmen, whilst no man except Palmer could bowl a yorker like him. The nearest approach to Spofforth in this "forcible" character of his bowling is in the writer's opinion, George Lohman.
Perhaps the very beat season's performance ever achieved by a bowler was accomplished by "The Demon " during the English tour of 1884. All through that season the weather was as fine as an Australian summer, and hardly a sticky wicket was met with. The Australians played 32 matches, all first class, including three against All England, two each against tbe Gentlemen and the Players, one each against Oxford and Cambridge universities, two each against the North and the South, several combined elevens, I. Zingari, and the leading counties.
In one innings against an eleven of England, at Birmingham, Spofforth bowled 35 balls, 6 maidens, 3 runs and 7 wickets, and in the whole tour had the splendid record of 1544 overs, 649 maidens, 2642 runs, and 216 wickets, at an average cost of 12.2. He and other bowlers have had better records on paper, but those who experienced the continuously fine days of that glorious summer, and know the calibre of the opposing batsmen, must allow that if was the bowling performance par excellence. In three out of Spofforth's five trips to England he has met with severe injuries which have for a time incapacitated and thrown him out of practice, but in case he has "come again" with the determination which is one of the greatest secrets of his marvellous success, for a better "worker" never trod turf.
At one time "Spoff" used to be accused of purposely making a foot mark on the pitch in delivery, and then utilising it tor his own benefit by changing ends, but the accusation was ungenerous. Chew up the ground with his long stride he certainly did, but as he rarely used more thin two spikes in each boot it is evident that "the demon" entered tho field with no sinister design upon the pitch. With the first Australian Eleven he bowled in England 6620 balls, 644 maidens, 2675 runs, and took 357 wickets which averaged 7.493 runs each. This was the result of 41 matches, 22 of which were against odds, but since 1880 no handicap matches have been played by Australian Elevens.
In all matches played in Engiand, his remarkable record is : —
1878
Overs = 1705
Maidens = 644
Runs = 2675
Wickets = 357
Average = 7.493
1880
Overs = 1550
Maidens = 669
Runs = 2018
Wickets = 391
Average = 5.161
1882
Overs = 1592
Maidens = 709
Runs = 2212
Wickets = 188
Average = 12.1
1884
Overs = 1544
Maidens = 649
Runs = 2642
Wickets = 216
Average = 12.2
1886
Overs = 925
Maidens = 372
Runs = 1628
Wickets = 89
Average = 17.1
TOTALS
Overs = 7325
Maidens = 3034
Runs = 11145
Wickets = 1241
Average = 8.98
He has delivered over 29,000 balls in England, and has, therefore, at a moderate computation run more than 330 miles in the act of delivering the ball and returning to bowl the next. Spofforth's celebrity as an athlete has not been gained solely on the cricket field, as he was for many years considered tha fastest sprint runner in New South Wales, and holds numerous trophies won (principally from scratch) at meetings of the Sydney Amateur Athletic Club.
In 1885 the famous bowler joined the service of the National Bank of Australasia, and while in England in the following year he married a daughter of Mr. Joseph Cadman of The Cedars, Breadsall, Derbyshire. Since his return he has held the position of manager of the National Bank at East Collingwood, which position he resigned last week to take up his permanent abode in England. For tho information oi those who care to know, it may be added that Spofforth's height is 6 ft. 2 1/2 in. and his weight 12 st.4 lb.
Although since his last trip to England he has played cricket only in a desultory sort of way, he has on several occasions done good service for the Melbourne Cricket Club, and being always in condition it is by no meant improbable that before the tour of the sixth Australian Eleven is completed English batsmen may again feel the power of that deft right arm which has so often borne a prominent part in gaining an Australian victory.
Being of a genial and communicative disposition, and possessing like most much -travelled men a comprehensive knowledge of the world, there are few whose conversation and reminiscences are more interesting than those of the Demon Bowler, to whom on behalf of the cricketers of Australia, we heartily wish God speed.
Posterity will probably recognise Spofforth, Murdoch and Blackham in their respective departments of the game as the three greatest players that Australia has produced; but in the historical reoords of those stirring contests between English and Australian players, which even in the birthplace of cricket have led to new developments and increased skill, the wondrous deeds done by The Demon Bowler will place his name in a more prominent position then that of any other player except perhaps W. G. Grace, The Grand Old Man of the cricket field. The peerless crioketer who never had a rival.
09 Jun 1888 - FREDERICK ROBERT SPOFFORTH "THE DEMON BOWLER. - Trove
