Arthur Mold
A fearsome fast bowler whose terrifying pace was forever shadowed by the question of whether he threw rather than bowled.
1863–1921 (age 58)·English cricketer·Birthday: May 27·The Gilded Age
Biography
For a decade, Arthur Mold was the spearhead of the Lancashire cricket attack, a tall, wiry fast bowler who terrorized county batsmen throughout the 1890s. His career statistics are formidable: over 1,600 first-class wickets at a stunningly low average. Selected for England in 1893, he seemed destined for a long international career. Yet, from his earliest days, whispers followed him. In an era before slow-motion replay, his whippy, slinging action raised suspicions that he was a 'thrower'—illegally straightening his arm. The controversy crescendoed in 1900 when he was no-balled for throwing in a high-profile match. Although he continued playing, the cloud never lifted, and his achievements were permanently qualified. Mold's story is a pivotal chapter in cricket's long, fraught struggle to define and police the line between a legal delivery and a foul throw.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Arthur was born in 1863, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1863
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1863Born
President: Abraham Lincoln
1868Started school
President: Andrew Johnson
1876Became a teenager
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1879Could drive
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1881Could vote
President: Chester A. Arthur
1884Turned 21
President: Chester A. Arthur
1893Turned 30
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Turned 40
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Turned 50
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Died at 58
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
Key Achievements
- Took 1,673 first-class wickets at an exceptional average of under 16 runs per wicket.
- Was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1892 for his dominant performances for Lancashire.
- Played in three Test matches for England in 1893, taking 7 wickets.
Did You Know?
In the 1900 season, he was called for throwing by umpire Jim Phillips in a match against Somerset, a pivotal moment in the throwing controversy.
He worked as a professional for Lancashire for his entire county career, which spanned from 1889 to 1901.
Despite the doubts over his action, many contemporaries considered him one of the fastest and most difficult bowlers of his time to face.
“A straight arm and a true length are a bowler's only arguments.”
