John Wisden

Early life

Wisden was born in Crown Street, Brighton. His father, William, was a builder.

Cricket

In July 1845, aged 18, only 5 ft 4 in and weighing just 7 stone, He joined the All England Eleven in 1846, moving allegiance to the United All England Eleven in 1852. He was engaged to marry George Parr's sister Annie in 1849, but she died before the wedding, and he never married.

Initially a fast roundarm bowler, before overarm bowling was permitted, his pace slowed in later years so he bowled medium pace; he also bowled slow underarm. While bowling fast, he took on average nearly 10 wickets in each game. He was also a competent batsman, and scored two first-class centuries, the first, exactly 100, against Kent at Tunbridge Wells in 1849, and in 1855 he notched up 148 against Yorkshire, the only first-class century scored in 1855.

He played almost all of his cricket in England, mostly for Sussex, but once for Kent and thrice for Middlesex. He travelled with a touring team led by George Parr to Canada and the US in 1859, where eight matches in Montreal, Hoboken, Philadelphia, Hamilton and Rochester were won easily.

Of moderate height, he was nicknamed the "Little Wonder" after the winner of The Derby in 1840, and later the "Cardinal". He was said to be the best all-rounder of his day. In all, he took 1,109 first-class wickets with a bowling average of 10.32. He scored 4,140 first-class runs with a batting average of 14.12, an average which was very good for the time.

Business career and legacy

Wisden began a cricket-equipment business in Leamington Spa in 1850 and five years later opened a "cricket and cigar" shop in Coventry Street near The Haymarket in central London, in partnership with Fred Lillywhite until 1858. He was also the cricket coach at Harrow School from 1852 to 1855, and owned The Cricketers, a public house at Duncton in Sussex.

He retired from cricket in 1863 at the relatively early age of 37 as a result of rheumatism,

He also published in Cricket and How to Play It in 1866. In retirement, he developed his business into a manufacturer and retailer of equipment for many sports, not just cricket. The shop moved to Cranbourn Street near Leicester Square in 1872.

After his death the business grew into a major international sports brand, receiving a Royal Warrant in 1911 as "Athletic Outfitters to the King". Grays then ceased to use Wisden as an equipment brand, but re-established John Wisden & Co as the publisher of the Cricketers' Almanack. It is now an imprint of Wisden's owner, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Death

Wisden died of cancer, at the age of 57, in the flat above his Cranbourn Street shop (next to Leicester Square tube station). He was buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.

In 1913, 29 years after his death, he was the subject of a "Special Portrait" in the 50th edition of Wisden, replacing the usual Wisden Cricketers of the Year feature which was dropped from that edition. In 1984, a headstone was placed at his grave to mark the centenary of his death.

References

References

1. [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/34/34003/34003.html John Wisden], CricketArchive
2. (5 April 2013). "Words on the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack". ft.com.
3. Eric Midwinter, ‘Wisden, John (1826–1884)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2013 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/38141 accessed 13 September 2013]
4. He attended Brighton's Middle Street School (formerly the Royal Union School, founded as a [[charity school]] in 1805). He moved to London after his father died, and lived with the wicket-keeper [[Tom Box]].[http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/23126.html John Wisden], ESPNcricinfo
5. [http://www.espncricinfo.com/wcm/content/story/138636.html The survival of Wisden], ESPNcricinfo, July 1992
6. he made his first-class debut for Sussex against MCC, taking 6 wickets in the first innings and three in the second.[http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/541726.html Scorecard], Sussex v Kent. 3,4,5 July 1845
7. (15 July 2005). "Fagg's unique double-hundreds". ESPN Cricinfo.
8. (25 February 1913). "Cricket - Wisden's Almanack for 1913". The Times.
9. (6 April 1984). "Wisden wins his applause in granite". The Times.