43 Facts About James Southerton

James Southerton was an English professional cricketer whose first-class career spanned 26 seasons from 1854 to 1879.

James Southerton decided to concentrate on bowling and, using a roundarm action, developed into an outstanding slow bowler.

James Southerton was 49 years and 119 days old when the match began, and remains the oldest Test debutant.

In domestic cricket, James Southerton was mostly associated with the county teams of Hampshire, Surrey, and Sussex.

James Southerton stood intermittently as an umpire between 1864 and 1879.

James Southerton became the first Test cricketer to die in June 1880, when he succumbed to a short attack of pleurisy.

James Southerton was born in Petworth, Sussex on 16 November 1827.

James Southerton's family moved from Petworth to Mitcham, Surrey when he was three months old.

James Southerton departed Surrey ahead of the 1858 season and was engaged by Sussex.

James Southerton returned in 1859 to play one match against Marylebone Cricket Club at Lord's.

James Southerton would spend a further season with Sussex in 1860, making two appearances, alongside playing for the South in the North v South fixture at Sleaford.

James Southerton remained engaged with Hampshire in 1862, and although Hampshire did not play any major fixtures that year, Southerton still appeared in minor matches for the Union Club which was based in Southampton.

James Southerton continued to be engaged at the Antelope Ground in 1867, operating in a period before regulations prevented anyone playing for more than one county in the same season.

James Southerton delivered the ball at a slower speed, which had deceptive flight and a sharp break.

James Southerton achieved this by bowling with a twisting action, and had the ability to vary his pace and pitch to further deceive batsmen.

James Southerton's bowling proved a challenge to batsman, one which they were not easily able to adapt to.

James Southerton possessed a strong sense of knowing which type of delivery would be most difficult for the opposing batsman to play.

James Southerton played a large part in Hampshire's inaugural first-class victory against Surrey in 1865, taking 7 wickets for 45 runs.

James Southerton had been afforded greater playing opportunities by appearing for Surrey in 1867, who had a busier playing programme compared to other counties.

James Southerton departed the Antelope Ground ahead of the 1868 season, and played for both Surrey and Sussex in sixteen matches across that season, in addition to playing for the Players of the South against the Gentlemen of the South.

James Southerton remained one of the leading bowlers in county cricket between 1871 and 1875, taking over 100 wickets in each of those season.

James Southerton notably took 16 wickets for 52 runs in a day for the South against the North on a sticky wicket at Lord's on 17 May 1875, which included his career-best innings figures of 9 for 30 in the South's first innings.

James Southerton bowled 6,089 balls in the 1875 season, and for Surrey he is reputed to have not bowled a single wide.

James Southerton was critical of Grace's captaincy on the tour, labelling him a "damn bad captain".

James Southerton was 49 years and 119 days old when he made his Test debut, making him the oldest ever Test debutant.

James Southerton played in the 2nd Test twelve days later, which was played at the MCG.

James Southerton took 4 for 46 in the Australians second innings, with England winning the match by four wickets to tie the series.

James Southerton accompanied the touring party to New Zealand, but no matches of status were played there.

James Southerton retired at the conclusion of the 1879 season, having been afforded a benefit match during the North v South match at The Oval in July, where the weather noted as being unfavourable for large periods of play.

James Southerton began his career as a batsman, but found little in the way of success in this role, both prior to and after he became a skilled bowler.

Haygarth noted that he was an attacking batsman, while W G Grace wrote that Southerton seldom defended the ball, and was known to close his eyes when striking out.

James Southerton had most success for Surrey, taking 995 wickets for the county.

James Southerton took 269 wickets for Sussex, in addition to 183 for the South.

James Southerton was noted to be a good fielder at slip, and across his career he took 215 catches, 109 of which came for Surrey.

James Southerton first stood as a first-class umpire in the 1864 fixture between Surrey and the South of England.

James Southerton would stand in first-class cricket between 1877 and 1879, doing so on ten occasions.

James Southerton adjudged Grace to be not out, claiming that the fielder had caught the ball well over the rope; Grace subsequently ran five runs, but James Southerton only awarded one run, when the decision should have either resulted in Grace's dismissal, or the awarding of the five runs.

James Southerton was the landlord of The Cricketers public house and hotel at Mitcham Cricket Green, having taken up residence there around 1870.

James Southerton was popular with the touring Australian teams, and would let them stay at The Cricketers while they trained on Mitcham Green.

James Southerton became the first Test cricketer to die when he succumbed after a short attack of pleurisy at his Mitcham residence on 16 June 1880, just ten months after he had retired from playing.

James Southerton had become ill the night prior to the derby match between Surrey and Middlesex, catching a chill which had confined him to bed for several days.

James Southerton was buried in the graveyard of Mitcham Parish Church, with his funeral attended by 118 professional and amateur cricketers from a variety of counties, who walked two-by-two in front of his coffin and lined the churchyard on either side to form a guard of honour.

James Southerton had one son with Sarah Pratt, Sydney James, who was editor of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack from 1934 to 1935.