Edgar Willsher

Edgar "Ned" Willsher (22 November 1828 – 7 October 1885) was an English cricketer known for helping the shift from roundarm to overarm bowling. A left-handed bowler, and lower-order batsman, Willsher played for Kent County Cricket Club between 1850 and 1875. He took over 1,300 wickets, despite only having one lung. He led a tour of Canada and the United States in 1868, and after retiring from his playing career became an umpire. Edgar Willsher made his own debut on 11 July 1850 at the Kennington Oval against Surrey. He took four wickets in Surrey's first innings, but was not required to bat again as Kent were dismissed successively for 52 and 84 when following on after Surrey's 248. Willsher waited over a year for his next game, against the All England Eleven on 24 July 1851. This time Kent secured a draw, with Willsher taking four wickets in a match truncated by rain. He played only one other game in 1851, finishing the season with only eleven wickets, though they were taken at an economical 17.50 runs per wicket. He gradually became a more regular feature of Kent from 1853, with thirty-nine appearances over the next four years. He took thirty-two wickets in 1854, including a then career-best 7/22. Playing for an England against Surrey he was called six times by umpire John Lillywhite for delivering the ball when his hand was above his shoulder. Outraged, Willsher left the field in protest with eight of his professional colleagues (England's two amateurs remained on the field) and play was abandoned for the rest of the day. When Lillywhite refused to accept the legality of Willsher's action, he was replaced as umpire so that the game could continue. Willsher went on to take 6 for 49. As a result of this incident, which may well have been planned in advance in order to force the issue, the laws were changed and overarm bowling was legalised from the beginning of the 1864 season. This included twelve five-wicket hauls, and six ten-wicket hauls, both career-best performances. Though once again struggling with the bat, scoring 246 runs at 10.69, Willsher's 113 wickets was second in the list of wicket-takers for the 1868 season, behind only future Test player James Southerton, and Willsher's average easily out-performed Southerton's 13.76. Willsher enjoyed successes in 1869 and 1870, with 64 and 84 wickets respectively, and took 70 more wickets in 1871; however Willsher, by then forty-two years of age, began to enjoy fewer returns for his bowling. From 1872 until retirement in 1875 he never bettered 35 wickets in a season, though he averages remained strong and his five-wicket hauls consistent. His appearances for Kent began to diminish, and in 1874 he played only seven matches, not passing fifty with the bat after 1869, and taking only two ten-wicket hauls in his final four seasons compared to thirteen in the proceeding four. It was his final appearance for his county. In the last game of his career on 19 August between two invitation XI's representing the North and South of the country, Willsher, playing alongside WG Grace, made only one run and was not called on to bowl.