16 Facts About Fred Titmus

Frederick John Titmus was an English cricketer, whose first-class career, mostly for Middlesex with a short stint for Surrey, spanned five decades.

Outside cricket, Fred Titmus was a footballer; at one stage he was contracted to Watford as a professional, having earlier played for amateur club Leytonstone, and then for Chelsea as a junior.

Fred Titmus was accepted onto the ground-staff after bowling only a few balls, and in June 1949 he made his first-class cricket debut for Middlesex against Somerset at Bath, at the age of 16 years and 213 days, Middlesex's youngest cricketer ever at that point.

Fred Titmus passed a thousand runs for the first time, scoring 1,235 including the first of his six centuries, making 104 against Hampshire albeit in a losing cause as Middlesex lost by an innings.

Fred Titmus was dropped, but he went on a non-Test tour to Pakistan with MCC that winter.

From 1956 to 1962 inclusive, Fred Titmus achieved the double in every year except 1958, but a place in the Test team still eluded him.

Fred Titmus played in all five Tests, and took more wickets than any other English bowler; 21 at 29.33, including a Test career best 7 for 79 in the Third Test and 5 for 103 in the Fifth, both at Sydney, and making 59 not out in the Fourth Test at Adelaide.

Fred Titmus was involved in an accident shortly before the Third when, whilst swimming, he caught his foot in the propeller of a boat that was being driven by the wife of one of the senior members of the English cricket team.

Fred Titmus lost four toes, and for a time there was a doubt whether he would play again.

Fred Titmus's career was beginning to wind down, and 1976 was his final full year in England.

Fred Titmus re-appeared sporadically for Middlesex in 1979,1980 and 1982.

Fred Titmus created a Middlesex appearance record of 642, and took 2,361 wickets, another county record, in addition to racking up in excess of 20,000 runs.

Fred Titmus published his first autobiography Talk of the Double in 1964.

Fred Titmus served as an England test selector from 1994 to 1996.

Fred Titmus died on 23 March 2011, aged 78, after a long illness.

Fred Titmus was married twice, firstly to Jean, and he was survived by his second wife, Stephanie.