Spofforth, Fred (1853-1926), an Australian cricketer , ranks among the greatest bowlers of his time. Cricket enthusiasts called him the demon bowler, believing that his fearsome appearance had an intimidating effect on batsmen. In cricket, a bowler delivers the ball and a batsman attempts to hit it.
From 1877 to 1887, Spofforth starred for Australia in 18 Test matches. Test matches are one of the highest levels of international competition in cricket. Spofforth gained a reputation for how often he claimed wickets. He became legendary for his performance in the 1882 Test match against England. He took 14 wickets for 90 runs—a record that was not surpassed by an Australian in a Test match for 90 years.
Frederick Robert Spofforth was born on Sept. 9, 1853, in Balmain, a suburb of Sydney. In domestic cricket, he played for New South Wales from 1874 to 1885 and for Victoria from 1885 to 1888. Spofforth settled in England in 1888 and played county cricket in England throughout the remainder of the 1800’s. County cricket consists of teams named after historic English and Welsh counties. They are the main cricket teams in England and Wales. Spofforth also became a successful tea merchant. Spofforth died on June 4, 1926. In 2011, he was inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame.
