399:
feature of the Kent side 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. He then passed fifty wickets in the season for the first time during the 1856 season, taking 66 in total at 10.76 runs per wicket from only eight games. This included four ten-wicket match hauls. He then bettered his efforts with 71 wickets from ten games in 1857, though could only take 29 scalps in 1858 playing only six games. Seventy-nine wickets in 1859, and one better in 1860 established
Willsher as a key bowler for Kent, as he regularly featured in their starting XI with fourteen games in each season. The 1860 season also saw his career-best innings figures of 8/16, as well as his first noted successes with the bat, scoring his maiden
472:, 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.
31:
457:
failing with the bat with a best over both years of 46. The 1868 season, however was the best of
Willsher's career with the ball, taking in a hot and dry summer 113 wickets at only 9.98 runs per wicket, the second occasion – and one of only three in his entire career – where Willsher's season average was under 10.00. This included twelve
456:
1864 saw more success for
Willsher in the County Championship with 79 more wickets at 13.84 runs each, though he failed to pass 50 with the bat. Though he then struggled with only 47 wickets in 1865, he remained consistent with 52 scalps in 1866 and 51 more in the following season, though again
439:
for delivering the ball when his hand was above his shoulder. Outraged, Willsher left the field in protest with eight of his professional colleagues (the two amateurs in the
England team remained on the field) and play was abandoned for the rest of the day. When Lillywhite refused to accept the
398:
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
415:
as the standard form of bowling but overarm was still illegal, even though it was in occasional use. Laws of the sport were modified in 1845 in an attempt to limit the ever increasing height of the bowler's arm. On 26 August 1862 at
440:
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
394:. 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
448:. Meanwhile, the 1863 season saw another 80 wickets for Willsher, as well as 494 runs with the bat, including three half-centuries. The runs scored during the season, and his highest score of 89, would remain his career best.
479:, saw Willsher take four wickets in a convincing Kent innings victory, It was his final appearance for his county. In the last game of his first-class career on 19 August between two invitation XI's representing the
465:, 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
357:
between 1850 and 1875. He took over 1,300 first-class 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
941:
1145:
382:, would go on to have an inauspicious career with Kent three years before Edgar's own debut when, in 1847, he appeared in one first-class match, scoring a
1115:
675:
634:
403:, one of four for the season. Fifteen more games in 1861 yielded another career-best 87 wickets in the season, and his second eight-wicket haul.
1125:
1110:
1105:
1155:
1150:
781:
806:
591:
561:
531:
1100:
1160:
749:
1059:
895:
1135:
961:
1120:
1165:
1140:
1028:
476:
683:
642:
1130:
1090:
998:
768:
445:
429:
391:
156:
1033:
951:
209:
1095:
670:
668:
666:
664:
662:
660:
354:
138:
1023:
888:
657:
509:
313:
864:
836:
1085:
1080:
977:
711:
386:
at number eleven and not bowling. Edgar
Willsher made his own debut on 11 July 1850 at the
8:
814:
350:
186:
164:
149:
599:
569:
539:
956:
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881:
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235:
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1008:
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993:
614:
469:
458:
433:
412:
379:
358:
342:
266:
79:
1013:
925:
475:
Willsher played only two games in the 1875 season. The first, on 17 June against
462:
441:
436:
387:
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256:
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383:
1074:
1018:
733:
480:
868:
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400:
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were changed and overarm bowling was legalised from the beginning of the
349:. A left-handed bowler, and useful lower-order batsman, Willsher played
904:
741:
57:
676:"First-class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Edgar Willsher"
484:
417:
920:
421:
338:
293:
30:
246:
782:"First-class Bowling in England for 1868 (Ordered by Wickets)"
592:"Kent v All England Eleven – All England Eleven matches 1851"
873:
837:"South v North – Other First-Class matches in England 1875"
61:
705:
703:
701:
698:
635:"First-class Bowling in Each Season by Edgar Willsher"
1146:
North of the Thames v South of the Thames cricketers
487:, made only one run and was not called on to bowl.
337:(22 November 1828 – 7 October 1885) was an English
1072:
764:This was last achieved by a regular bowler when
378:. His older brother, senior by over ten years,
889:
341:known for being a catalyst in the shift from
483:of the country, Willsher, playing alongside
420:, Willsher became the first cricketer to be
374:Willsher was born at Little Halden Farm, in
896:
882:
411:By the early 1860s, roundarm had replaced
1116:United South of England Eleven cricketers
504:
502:
500:
732:
1073:
807:"Kent v Hampshire – County Match 1875"
709:
497:
169:19 August 1875 South v North
877:
1060:Royal National College for the Blind
726:
424:for bowling overarm. Playing for an
562:"Surrey v Kent – County Match 1850"
532:"Kent v Surrey – County Match 1847"
13:
1126:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers
1111:English cricketers of 1864 to 1889
1106:English cricketers of 1826 to 1863
406:
14:
1177:
858:
510:"Player Profile: Edgar Willsher"
29:
1156:Players of the South cricketers
1151:Gentlemen of England cricketers
829:
799:
774:
451:
771:took 186 wickets for 1589 runs
758:
584:
554:
524:
369:
155:11 July 1850 Kent v
1:
1101:All-England Eleven cricketers
903:
490:
16:English cricketer (1828-1885)
1161:Gentlemen of Kent cricketers
7:
432:he was called six times by
10:
1182:
712:"The evolution of bowling"
120:Domestic team information
1052:
986:
970:
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911:
364:
310:
306:
178:
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162:
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144:
132:
127:
124:
119:
111:
103:
95:
87:
68:
42:
37:
28:
1136:North v South cricketers
355:Kent County Cricket Club
1024:Frances Hodgson Burnett
962:Wittersham Road Station
1121:People from Rolvenden
1166:Cricketers from Kent
1141:Southgate cricketers
744:. pp. 138–139.
710:Williamson, Martin.
267:5 wickets in innings
56:Little Halden Farm,
38:Personal information
914:parish of Rolvenden
351:first-class cricket
276:10 wickets in match
25:
1131:Players cricketers
1091:English cricketers
957:Rolvenden Windmill
947:Great Maytham Hall
686:on 20 January 2013
645:on 19 January 2013
396:All England Eleven
21:
1068:
1067:
1009:Richard Guildford
952:Rolvenden Station
751:978-1-84607-880-4
459:five-wicket hauls
324:
323:
302:
301:
174:Career statistics
1173:
994:Claire Armstrong
912:Locations in the
898:
891:
884:
875:
874:
852:
851:
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847:
833:
827:
826:
824:
822:
813:. Archived from
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682:. Archived from
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641:. Archived from
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598:. Archived from
588:
582:
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568:. Archived from
558:
552:
551:
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538:. Archived from
528:
522:
521:
519:
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470:James Southerton
463:ten-wicket hauls
380:William Willsher
319:
180:
179:
135:
83:
75:
64:
53:22 November 1828
52:
50:
33:
26:
20:
1181:
1180:
1176:
1175:
1174:
1172:
1171:
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1096:Kent cricketers
1071:
1070:
1069:
1064:
1048:
1014:Phillips Gybbon
982:
966:
930:
926:Rolvenden Layne
913:
907:
902:
861:
856:
855:
845:
843:
841:Cricket Archive
835:
834:
830:
820:
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817:on 24 July 2012
811:Cricket Archive
805:
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790:
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786:Cricket Archive
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731:
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689:
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680:Cricket Archive
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639:Cricket Archive
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602:on 27 July 2012
596:Cricket Archive
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575:
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572:on 29 July 2012
566:Cricket Archive
560:
559:
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545:
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542:on 29 July 2012
536:Cricket Archive
530:
529:
525:
515:
513:
508:
507:
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493:
481:North and South
454:
437:John Lillywhite
409:
407:Overarm bowling
388:Kennington Oval
376:Rolvenden, Kent
372:
367:
347:overarm bowling
320:
317:
257:Bowling average
210:Batting average
133:
78:
77:
73:
55:
54:
48:
46:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1179:
1169:
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1049:
1047:
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1044:Edgar Willsher
1041:
1039:Harold Tennant
1036:
1031:
1026:
1021:
1016:
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1004:Robert Cushman
1001:
999:Mark Armstrong
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988:
984:
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865:Edgar Willsher
860:
859:External links
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854:
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773:
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750:
734:Frindall, Bill
725:
714:. ESPNcricinfo
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512:. ESPNcricinfo
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76:(aged 56)
72:7 October 1885
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23:Edgar Willsher
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1034:Richard Mills
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1019:Thomas Harden
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107:Left-arm fast
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81:
71:
67:
63:
59:
45:
41:
36:
32:
27:
19:
1043:
1029:George Mills
869:ESPNcricinfo
844:. Retrieved
840:
831:
819:. Retrieved
815:the original
810:
801:
789:. Retrieved
785:
776:
760:
738:Ask Bearders
737:
728:
716:. Retrieved
688:. Retrieved
684:the original
679:
647:. Retrieved
643:the original
638:
604:. Retrieved
600:the original
595:
586:
574:. Retrieved
570:the original
565:
556:
544:. Retrieved
540:the original
535:
526:
514:. Retrieved
474:
455:
452:Later career
410:
401:half century
373:
334:
330:
326:
325:
284:Best bowling
74:(1885-10-07)
18:
1086:1885 deaths
1081:1828 births
766:Alfred Shaw
467:Test player
446:1864 season
370:Early years
318:26 May 2012
201:Runs scored
187:First-class
183:Competition
99:Left-handed
1075:Categories
971:Businesses
491:References
461:, and six
426:England XI
49:1828-11-22
935:Buildings
905:Rolvenden
867: at
742:BBC Books
477:Hampshire
422:no-balled
339:cricketer
294:stumpings
227:Top score
134:1850–1875
58:Rolvenden
736:(2009).
485:WG Grace
428:against
418:The Oval
413:underarm
390:against
343:roundarm
335:Willsher
314:CricInfo
312:Source:
292:Catches/
219:100s/50s
88:Nickname
80:Lewisham
1053:Schools
978:Geering
921:Kensham
769:in 1880
247:Wickets
193:Matches
104:Bowling
96:Batting
987:People
942:Church
846:28 May
821:28 May
791:28 May
748:
718:26 May
690:26 May
649:26 May
606:26 May
576:26 May
546:26 May
516:26 May
434:umpire
430:Surrey
392:Surrey
365:Career
359:umpire
327:Edgar
241:53,267
238:bowled
157:Surrey
115:Bowler
82:, Kent
298:233/–
261:12.78
251:1,329
236:Balls
214:12.41
204:5,089
163:Last
152:debut
125:Years
848:2012
823:2012
793:2012
746:ISBN
720:2012
692:2012
651:2012
608:2012
578:2012
548:2012
518:2012
442:laws
384:pair
353:for
287:8/16
222:0/12
139:Kent
128:Team
112:Role
69:Died
62:Kent
43:Born
345:to
331:Ned
271:107
196:267
91:Ned
1077::
839:.
809:.
784:.
740:.
700:^
678:.
659:^
637:.
616:^
594:.
564:.
534:.
499:^
361:.
316:,
279:30
230:89
165:FC
150:FC
60:,
897:e
890:t
883:v
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825:.
795:.
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722:.
694:.
653:.
610:.
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333:"
329:"
51:)
47:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
