Fred Morley
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 16 December 1850 Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 28 September 1884 (aged 33) Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | Speedy Fred[1][2][3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Left-arm fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 26) | 6 September 1880 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 21 February 1883 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricInfo, 15 August 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frederick Morley (16 December 1850 – 28 September 1884) was a professional
England during his prime. During a 13-year career for Nottinghamshire
and England he took 1,274 wickets at an average of 13.73.
In 1879/80 Morley toured North America with
Ivo Bligh's side that aimed to recover the Ashes. However, he was hampered by an injury to his rib that he picked up when the team's ship was involved in a collision in the harbour at Colombo.[5] Official reports deemed the incident an "unfortunate incidence of chance". Rumours, however, soon surfaced regarding the supposed accidental nature of the collision, with some historians postulating malicious sabotage from rival cricket teams.[1][2] After sustaining injuries, his subsequent bowling performances were poor. He never recovered from his injuries. Alienated from his family members due to his deteriorating health and subsequent inability to bring in income, Morley lived in seclusion during the remainder of his life.[6] He died of congestion and dropsy in September 1884 at the age of 33.[7] He was interred with a cricket ball placed in his left (favoured) hand.[6]
He was married to Hannah, a seamstress, and they had at least three children, Sarah, Harold and Allen. His name was registered at birth as Frederic Morley.[7]
Notes
- ^ a b Randall, Derek. Thomas, Peter Wynne. The History of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. Christopher Helm Publishers. 1992.
- ^ a b Major, John Roy. More Than a Game: The Story of Cricket's Early Years. Harper Collins UK. 2007.
- ^ Birley, Derek. A Social History of English Cricket. Aurum. 1999. pg267-270
- ^ "Only Test: England v Australia at The Oval, Sep 6-8, 1880". espncricinfo. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ^ Cricinfo biography on Fred Morley. http://content.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/17092.html
- ^ a b Ambrose, Don. Malcolm, Lorimer. Cricket Grounds of Lancashire The Association of Cricket Statisticians and History 1992
- ^ a b Ambrose, Don (2004) Brief profile of Frederick Morley. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
Further reading
- Altham, Harry Surtees. A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914). George Allen & Unwin. 1962.
External links
Media related to Fred Morley at Wikimedia Commons
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