Fred Spofforth as Viewed a Century On

Archie Mac | 8:30am BST 21 June 2026

Published: 2026
Pages: 63
Author: Merchant, James
Publisher: The Cricket Publishing Company
Rating: 4 stars

Fred ‘The Demon’ Spofforth passed away 100 years ago in June 1926. At the time of his passing, Spofforth was acknowledged as Test cricket’s first great bowler. Lean and at 6ft 2in, unusually tall for the time, Spofforth looked every part of his sobriquet ‘The Demon’. During his heyday in the 1870s and 1880s, Spofforth appeared in a number of drawings, caricatures and other promotional materials. Often paired with W.G. Grace when it came to promoting the Ashes, especially in England, Spofforth was the biggest drawcard in the Australian team.

Spofforth was the first bowler to claim a hat-trick in 1879, and his 14 wickets in the Test of 1882 that started the Ashes sealed his legendary status. These performances and his presence on the cricket field made anything Spofforth related, especially prior to 1890, highly collectable.

Passionate cricketana collector and author James Merchant has compiled a detailed list of the collectible items relating to Spofforth. For the cricket collecting lover the items listed are mouth-watering. Unfortunately, the majority are rare, and a few almost impossible to find. The price of many is also quite prohibitive. For example, a trading card from 1884 produced by Baines is currently on the market for £50,000. To be fair the card up for sale is the only extant example known.

The book is broken up into different sections, such as: trading cards; Spofforth’s personal objects; paintings; photos and modern collectables. This large format book is ideal for showcasing the featured items, and with many appearing in colour this is a beautifully produced publication.

The images produced in the book are all quality and Merchant provides a detailed entry for each. The date and producer of each item is listed as well as background information wherever possible. One item that is well known to most cricket enthusiasts is the Spy caricature published by Vanity Fair in 1878. We learn that at one stage the original was in the possession of John Arlott, before it was eventually purchased at auction in 1985 for £2,200. The purchaser is unknown, but it seems they obtained a bargain. It’s always a pity when these rare items are in a private collection and are inaccessible to the public.

There are a few things listed that are still obtainable, both in numbers and price. These concern a few modern collector cards and some books that feature Spofforth including one of the very best cricketing biographies, Richard Cashman’s The ‘Demon’ Spofforth.

Inspired after reading Fred Spofforth as Viewed a Century On I jumped on EBay. It was a little disappointing. There were a few trading cards that were a little pricy, and one item not in Merchant’s book, a brand new lighter which features the Spy caricature, which, with £19 postage to Australia was £52. While tempted, I think I will just go back and peruse the evocative images in this grand book and be reminded that ‘The Demon’, for a brief period at least, rivalled in popularity the greatest cricketer of them all –W.G. Grace.

This beautifully produced booked is limited to just 55 copies and can be obtained by emailing Ronald Cardwell – cardwell@mcks.com.au.