Arthur Shrewsbury (11 April 1856 – 19 May 1903) was an English cricketer and rugby football administrator. He was widely rated as competing with W. G. Grace for the accolade of best batsman of the 1880s; Grace himself, when asked whom he would most like in his side, replied simply, "Give me Arthur". An opening batsman, Shrewsbury played his cricket for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and played 23 Test matches for England, captaining them in 7 games, with a record of won 5, lost 2. He was the last professional to be England captain until Len Hutton was chosen in 1952. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1890. He also organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888.
An expert on sticky wickets,Wisden obituary, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 18 October 2007 Shrewsbury topped the first-class batting averages seven times including in 1902, his final season. The following spring, incorrectly believing he had an incurable disease, he shot himself at his sister's home in Gedling, Nottinghamshire.
Early life Shrewsbury, the seventh child of William Shrewsbury and Mary Ann Wragg, was born in New Lenton, Nottinghamshire. He was educated at the People's College, Nottingham and trained as a draughtsman. His early club cricket was, like William Scotton, with Meadow Imperial and he subsequently played for Nottingham Commercial Club where he came to the notice of the county officials.Brief profile of Arthur Shrewsbury, CricketArchive Retrieved on 19 October 2007
On 12 May 1873, having just turned 17, Shrewsbury made his first appearance at Lord's for the Colts of England against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). His batting was modelled on that of Richard Daft.Batsman of the year – 1890, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 The season also saw Meadow Imperial, Shrewsbury's club side, replaced by Meadow Willow CC.
First-class beginnings Shrewsbury missed most of the 1874 season with rheumatic fever, and did not make his first-class debut until May 1875 for Nottinghamshire against Derbyshire. He ended the season with 313 runs at 17.38, with a top score of 41;First-class Batting season by season, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 in a season of wet weather he finished fourth in the county's batting averages.First-class Batting Averages 1875, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 19 October 2007
The following year Shrewsbury made his maiden first-class century, scoring 118 against Yorkshire, at Trent Bridge sharing in an opening partnership of 183 with Richard Daft. Shrewsbury finished the season with an innings of 65 not out against Surrey in a low scoring match.Nottinghamshire v Surrey 1876, Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 17 February 2008 In May 1877, he made 119 at The Oval for the Players of the North against Gentlemen of the South. He also scored four fifties and finished the season with 778 runs at 19.94.
In 1878 Australia made their first tour to England. Their first match was against Nottinghamshire: Shrewsbury scored 8 in an innings victory for the home team. He scored 724 runs at 21.29 during the season with a top score of 74 not out. The following season was less successful – his average dropped to 15.78 and he was not selected for either of the Gentlemen v Players fixtures. He toured North America in September 1879 with Richard Daft's XI, where the side won all six matches, all of them against odds (opposition teams of more than eleven players). During the 1880 season he scored 403 runs, his highest score, 66 not out, against the touring Australians.
In 1881 Shrewsbury led the strike of Nottinghamshire professional players alongside Alfred Shaw following disagreements with the county secretary, Captain Henry Holden, over an early season fixture with Yorkshire arranged by Shaw and Shrewsbury.Nottinghamshire's general strike, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 The strike meant Shrewsbury played just three first-class matches during the season. The break allowed him, Shaw and James Lillywhite to organise a lucrative eight-month tour of Australia, New Zealand and America the following winter.
World tour The tour began with games in North America, although Shrewsbury missed the first leg of the tour with bronchitis and sailed directly to Australia via Suez. The five matches in America were financial failures with receipts just covering expenses.
In Australia, the team played two first-class matches before the First Test. In the second of these the tourists beat Victoria despite having followed-on with Shrewsbury scoring 80 not out in the second innings.Victoria v A Shaw's XI 1881/2, Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 17 February 2008 The First Test was staged at Melbourne over the New Year. Shrewsbury, one of ten debutants, scored 11 and 16 in a drawn match. Seven matches in New Zealand followed before the team returned to Australia for the remaining three Test matches, Shrewsbury scored 7 and 22 in the Second Test at Sydney. His best performance of the tour came in the Third Test, again at Sydney, top scoring in both innings – 82 and 47 – the next highest score by an Englishman was 23.Australia v England 3rd Test 1881/2, Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 In the final Test he scored 1, final day rain ruining the best chance of English victory during the series which ended 2–0. The matches in Sydney and Melbourne proved popular meaning the three promoters made £700 each.
After the tour Shrewsbury returned to England in better physical shape thanks to the warmer climate of Australia. He and Shaw wrote to the Nottinghamshire committee to apologise for their previous season's actions, and both were welcomed back into the side.
Domestic success In 1882 Shrewsbury scored his maiden first-class double century, the first double century by a Nottinghamshire cricketer, an innings of 207 at The OvalSurrey v Nottinghamshire 1882, Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 18 October 2007 sharing in a stand of 289 with Billy Barnes, a first-class second wicket record. But this was Shrewsbury's only score above fifty all season. The following season was in complete contrast, as Shrewsbury scored seven fifties and no century, reaching 1,000 runs in a season for the first time.
In 1884 Australia toured England. Shrewsbury warmed up for the First Test with 209 against Sussex at Hove,Sussex v Nottinghamshire 1884, Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 sharing in a stand of 266 with Billy Gunn, a first-class record for the fifth wicket. In the drawn First Test at Old Trafford Shrewsbury top scored with 43.England v Australia 1st Test 1884, Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 He managed 27 in the Second Test which England won by an innings. The Third Test was drawn, Australia having scored 551. Declarations were not permitted until after 1889, and Australia batted for 311 overs. Every England player got a bowl, Shrewsbury coming on last after wicket-keeper Alfred Lyttelton.England v Australia 3rd Test 1884, Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 Shrewsbury finished the season just short of 1,000 runs as Nottinghamshire were declared Champion County, having won nine out of their ten matches.
Test success
Lillywhite, Shaw and Shrewsbury arranged another tour of Australia in 1884–85, with Shrewsbury as team captain. In the First Test at Adelaide Shrewsbury opened for the first time in Tests, scoring a duck and 26 not out as England won by 8 wickets. England won by 10 wickets in the Second Test, with Shrewsbury scoring 72 and 0 not out. The next two Tests were lost with Shrewsbury making scores of 18, 24, 40 and 16. In the deciding Fifth Test at Melbourne he played a captain's innings scoring 105 not out after dropping down the order,Australia v England 5th Test 1884/5, Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 his maiden Test century. Australian critic Felix described the innings: His play throughout was a treat to look at, and that neat and effective stroke of his between square-leg and mid-on is worth copying. He made a large number of his 105 in this spot. His defence was splendid, his cutting clean and telling, his timing could not well be excelled. Shrewsbury finished the Test series with 301 runs at 50.16The Ashes, 1884/5 – Most runs, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 and made £150 from the tour, the figure reduced by the boycotting of several matches by the 1884 Australians.
In 1885 Shrewsbury topped the batting averages for the first time scoring 1130 runs at 56.50 with four centuries, including carrying his bat for 224 not out at Lord's.Middlesex v Nottinghamshire 1885, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 19 October 2007 For the third season in a row Nottinghamshire were Champion County. The following season he once again carried his bat, this time against Gloucestershire defying W. G. Grace for 72 overs in scoring 227 not out.Gloucestershire v Nottinghamshire 1886, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 29 October 2007 Although Shrewsbury's best innings of the season was to come against the touring Australians and the demon, Fred Spofforth.
Shrewsbury warmed up for the Second Test (England won the First Test by 4 wickets) with another hundred against Grace in a Gentlemen v Players fixture. In the Second Test at Lord's Shrewsbury demonstrated his ability on sticky wickets against top bowling: against a side containing Spofforth, the finest bowler of the era, he finished the rain-interrupted first day unbeaten on 91, and carried this to 164 in easier conditions on the second day. The second highest score in the match was 58 by Billy Barnes, and Australia lost by an innings. England completed a whitewash with another innings victory at The Oval. Shrewsbury finished the season with 1404 runs as once again Nottinghamshire retained the title.
Two Australian tours England toured Australia in 1886–87 with Shrewsbury once again captaining the team. In two low scoring Tests (no team innings totalled as many as 200) Shrewsbury contributed 46 runs as the tourists won the series 2–0. His best innings of the tour came for the Non-Smokers against the Smokers in Melbourne, where he scored 236 in a total of 803, then a first-class record,Rubbing their noses in it, Cricinfo, Retrieved on 5 November as was the third wicket partnership of 311 between Shrewsbury and Billy Gunn. The one-sided matches and the bad weather led to poor crowds, and the tour's organisers failed to make a profit. Nevertheless, Shrewsbury was already planning another tour the following year.
1887 proved to be Shrewsbury's best season, with 1653 runs at 78.71. His batting average was the highest so far achieved, narrowly beating W. G. Grace's record of 78.25 in 1871. Shrewsbury made consecutive scores of 119, 152, 81, 130 and 111, and finished the season with his highest first-class score of 267 against Middlesex.Nottinghamshire v Middlesex 1887 Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 5 November 2007 During the season Shrewsbury scored his 10,000th first-class run.Middlesex v Nottinghamshire 1887 Scorecard, CricketArchive, Retrieved on 29 November 2007