Jimmy Wootton

James Wootton (9 March 1860 — 21 February 1941) was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket predominantly for Kent, Hampshire, and the Marylebone Cricket Club. Wootton would become one of the finest slow left-arm bowlers of the 1880s, having great success with Kent between 1884 and 1888. Playing in 115 first-class matches for Kent from 1880 to 1890, he took nearly 600 wickets. He later coached cricket at Winchester College and played for Hampshire upon their admittance to the County Championship in 1895, making 37 appearances up to 1900. He retired from coaching at Winchester in 1911.

Early life The son of Edward Wootton and his wife, Frances, he was born on 9 March 1860 in Sutton-at-Hone, Kent. After leaving education at the age of 14, he was employed as a stable hand with a local landowner and was considered a good enough horseman to accompany Lord Harris on hunts. Beginning in 1874, he spent the next three years playing club cricket for Farningham as a left-arm roundarm fast bowler against some of the strongest club sides in Kent. His work commitments meant he was unable to play cricket in 1878, but in 1879 he decided to pursue a career as a professional cricketer with the Yalding Club. In 1880 he played his club cricket for Erith, for whom that season he took 74 wickets at an average of just over 4 runs per wicket.

Cricket career Kent Wootton's prowess as a bowler in club cricket for Erith came to the attention of Kent in May 1880, when he was selected to represent their Colts side. Two months later, after two successive defeats against Derbyshire and Lancashire, he was selected in the Kent side and made his debut in first-class cricket against Sussex at Hove. He was late arriving at the ground because he had been absent from home, and did not immediately see the telegram calling him up to play. He claimed six wickets in the match, while in his next match against Surrey, he took his maiden five wicket haul with figures of 8 for 34 in Surrey's second innings, and overall match figures of 12 for 89. During his debut season, he made six first-class appearances and took 38 wickets at an average of 12.57.

The following season, Wootton took 48 wickets at an average of 21.06 from thirteen matches, His bowling return in 1882 was similar to that of 1881, with 48 wickets at an average of 18.62; In the Kent side, he found himself increasingly in competition with fellow left-arm bowlers George Hearne, Fred Martin, and Walter Wright. Coupled with injury and illness, he found his opportunities in the Kent team reduced. In thirteen first-class matches in 1888, Wootton took 54 wickets at an average of 15.83. His benefit year was deferred by the Kent committee in 1891, with the committee holding the view that it would not be expedient to give two players (the other John Pentecost) benefit matches in the 1892 season; he was eventually granted a benefit in 1894, which raised £316.

Hampshire Beginning in 1891, Wootton was employed as the cricket coach at Winchester College in Hampshire. Seeking the services of a player with first-class experience, Later for Hampshire, he took 69 wickets at an average of 27.05 from 37 first-class matches, taking five wickets in an innings on five occasions. A tailend batsman, Wootton had a poor batting reputation at Kent, where he made 62 ducks. His batting had improved by the time he joined Hampshire, an improvement that was credited to his coaching at Winchester.

Personal life and death Wootton married Flora Elizabeth Everest (1862–1941) at Farningham in 1885; the couple had two sons and a daughter. He retired from coaching at Winchester in 1911. He died in Leytonstone on 21 February 1941.