11 Facts About Razor Smith

William Charles "Razor" Smith was a Surrey slow bowler.

Razor Smith was able to bowl a somewhat faster ball with a very high flight that turned a little from leg and, with any help from the pitch, would get up almost straight.

Razor Smith took 5 for 50 against a weak Derbyshire side on his County Championship debut in 1900, but played little first-class cricket until 1904.

Razor Smith proved unplayable on wet wickets early in the season, but did nothing when the weather turned dry and was quickly dropped until the last two games.

Still, Razor Smith was third in the first-class averages in his first full season.

Between 1906 and 1908, Razor Smith was in and out of the Surrey team, but he still headed the averages in 1908 with 58 wickets for just over 14 each.

Razor Smith took 95 wickets for under 13 runs each in a wet summer, and his dismissal of Yorkshire for 26 caused a sensation.

Razor Smith's success was due in part to a new delivery, a fast kicking leg break in addition to his usual sharp off spinner.

Razor Smith took 14 for 29 at the Oval against Northamptonshire, doing the hat-trick in the second innings and being denied one in the first by a dropped catch.

In 1911, despite most pitches being totally unhelpful in an exceptionally dry summer, Razor Smith seized his few chances so well that he was second highest wicket-taker in the country with 160.

Razor Smith worked there right up until his death from heart failure in 1946.