Bobby Peel
A formidable left-arm spinner for Yorkshire and England whose career, boasting over 1,700 first-class wickets, ended in a famously abrupt dismissal.
1857–1943 (age 86)·English cricketer·Birthday: February 12
Biography
Bobby Peel was the archetypal Yorkshire cricketer of the Victorian age: tough, skilled, and not without a streak of controversy. For nearly two decades, he was a pillar of a dominant Yorkshire side, his left-arm spin extracting sharp turn and bounce from even the most placid pitches. A genuine all-rounder, his stubborn lower-order batting often rescued his county and country. He formed a legendary bowling partnership with fellow spinner Johnny Briggs for England, their combined guile bewildering touring Australian sides. Peel’s story, however, is forever colored by its ending. In 1897, after arriving at a county match reportedly worse for wear from drink, he was said to have been sent off the field by his captain, Lord Hawke, who famously declared he would never play for Yorkshire again. This dramatic exit couldn't erase the record of a man who was, for over a decade, one of the most feared and effective slow bowlers in the game.
#1 When Bobby Was Born
The biggest hits of 1857
Bobby's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1857Born
1862Started school
President: Abraham Lincoln
1870Became a teenager
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1873Could drive
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1875Could vote
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1878Turned 21
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1887Turned 30
President: Grover Cleveland
1897Turned 40
President: William McKinley
1907Turned 50
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1917Turned 60
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 70
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1937Turned 80
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1943Died at 86
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
Key Achievements
- Took 101 wickets in just 20 Test matches for England, including a best innings analysis of 7/31 against Australia in 1888.
- Captured 1,775 first-class wickets at an average of 16.20, a testament to his sustained dominance.
- Scored 12,191 first-class runs, highlighting his valuable all-round capabilities.
- Was a key member of the Yorkshire team that won the County Championship in 1893, 1896, and 1898.
Did You Know?
He was reportedly dismissed from the Yorkshire team for being intoxicated and attempting to water the pitch with beer.
He took a hat-trick for England against Australia at Sydney in 1887.
After his cricket career, he worked as a pub landlord in the Morley area.
“Keep a good length, pitch 'em up, and let the ball do the work.”
