15 Facts About Ted Pooley

Edward William Pooley was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Surrey and Middlesex between 1861 and 1883.

In 1877, he was supposed to be England's wicket-keeper in what would be the first Test match played; however, Pooley had been arrested in New Zealand and was unable to make the journey to Australia with his teammates.

Ted Pooley was injured and travelled ahead of the team to recuperate before a match in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The game was to be an Odds match where the England XI would play 22 of Christchurch and Ted Pooley simply put a shilling on each batsman to make 0.

Ted Pooley stood to make a pound for each duck scored for an initial stake of 22 shillings.

Ted Pooley was sent for trial at Christchurch, just before the England team left for Australia and what would subsequently be recognised as the first Test match.

Ted Pooley was well known as a drinker and a gambler.

Ted Pooley was an instant success and kept wicket for Middlesex and Surrey for the next 20 years.

Ted Pooley often used his bare hands to catch the ball.

On 21 August 1878, against Kent at Oval, Ted Pooley made his eighth stumping of the match, then a record in first-class cricket.

Ted Pooley's wicket-keeping was fundamental to the success of spin bowlers like James Southerton.

Ted Pooley described Pooley's hands as "mere lumps of deformity" and attributed their condition to rheumatism caused by drink.

Ted Pooley became angry at this, banging the table to show he had no feeling in his fingers and that it was cricket rather than "rheumatics" that had put him in the workhouse.

Ted Pooley took Pullin outside to show he could still catch a ball.

Ted Pooley lived on until 1907, dying in poverty, while his teammates from the 1877 tour were lauded as the first Test cricketers.