page_title: Arnold Fothergill
section_title: Test cricketer
hierarchical_section_title: Arnold Fothergill / Test cricketer
caption_attribution_description: Taken from http://stgeorgespark.upe.ac.za/content/matches/displayarticle.asp?artid=intertest_001, but the copyright has expired - dated 1889
context_page_description: Arnold James Fothergill was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club and the MCC in a career which spanned from 1870 until 1892. A left-arm fast-medium pace bowler, he appeared for England in two Test matches in 1889.
  Fothergill began his career as a club professional in the north east of England. He joined Somerset as one of their first professionals in 1880, but was forced to miss most of 1881 while he qualified for the county. He was the most productive bowler for the county in their first two years of first-class cricket, but the emergence of E. W. Bastard, and later Ted Tyler and Sammy Woods, limited his opportunities with the club. He joined the ground staff at Lord's Cricket Ground in 1882, and played for the MCC until 1892, also appearing at Lord's for representative sides.
  In the English winter of 1888–89, he was chosen to tour South Africa with the MCC, and played in two matches which were later designated as Test matches, though Wisden Cricketers' Almanack described them as being "arguably not even first-class." He took 119 first-class wickets during his career, of which eight came in his two Tests.
context_section_description: During the English winter of 1888–89, the MCC sent a touring team to South Africa. Organised by Major Gardner Warton, the original itinerary only featured "odds" matches, in which an 11-player MCC team faced opposition sides including 15, 18 or 22 players, depending on their perceived strength. In his book, A History of Cricket, Harry Altham describes that the quality of the touring party "was about that of a weak county." Fothergill was selected as part of the side, despite not having played a first-class match since May 1887. The majority of the wickets during the tour were taken by Lancashire's spinner, Johnny Briggs, who took almost 300, but Fothergill was heavily used as a bowler, and claimed 119 wickets at an average of 6.89. Altham suggests that the ease of the touring side's victories justifies the selection of a comparatively weak side. As the tour continued, there were calls for an even-strength contest, with the English side facing an 11-player South African side. Two such matches were arranged, but were considered no different from the other matches during the tour, being advertised as Major Warton's XI v South Africa XI. The matches were later granted Test match status, although Wisden Cricketers' Almanack commented that, "it was never intended, or considered necessary, to take out a representative English team for a first trip to the Cape."
  In the first Test, Fothergill opened the bowling with Briggs, and bowled economically, conceding 15 runs from his 24 four-ball overs. He only took one wicket in the innings, and was noted more for his batting later in the day. Having bowled South Africa out for 84, England rallied from 103 for nine due to a 45-run partnership for the tenth wicket between Fothergill and Basil Grieve. Batting at number eleven, Fothergill scored 32 runs, second only to opening batsman Bobby Abel. In South Africa's second innings, Fothergill was used as first-change bowler, and took four wickets for 19, his best figures in the two Test matches. South Africa scored 129 runs before being bowled out, and England scored the 67 runs required for victory with a day of the match remaining.
  England dominated the second Test, largely due to the bowling of Briggs. Batting first, England scored 292 runs, of which Abel contributed 120. Fothergill claimed the first South African wicket, Albert Rose-Innes at the end of the first day, but only claimed two more in the match, as Briggs took fifteen wickets on the second day to help England to an innings and 202-run victory.
  Fothergill's two Test appearances were the only ones of his career, and were also his final first-class matches. In all, he took 119 first-class wickets at an average of 18.18. His highest score was the 74 runs he scored on his debut.
caption: Advertisement for two matches on the tour, including the first Test.
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