John Wisden (5 September 1826 – 5 April 1884) was an English cricketer who played 187<!--according to CricketArchive; profile in ESPNcricifo says 186--> first-class cricket matches for three English county cricket teams, Kent, Middlesex and Sussex. He is now best known for launching the eponymous Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 1864, the year after he retired from first-class cricket.
Early life
Wisden was born in Crown Street, Brighton. His father, William, was a builder.
Cricket
In July 1845, aged 18, only 5 ft 4 in and weighing just , He joined the All England Eleven in 1846, moving allegiance to the United All England Eleven in 1852. He was also a competent batsman, and scored two first-class centuries, the first, exactly 100, against Kent at Tunbridge Wells in 1849, and in 1855 he notched up 148 against Yorkshire, the only first-class century scored in 1855.
He also published in Cricket and How to Play It in 1866. Grays then ceased to use Wisden as an equipment brand, but re-established John Wisden & Co as the publisher of the Cricketers' Almanack. It is now an imprint of Wisden's owner, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. In 1984, a headstone was placed at his grave to mark the centenary of his death.
References
Further reading
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
- H S Altham, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1926
- Derek Birley, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999
- Rowland Bowen, Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970
- Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, Volumes 3–9 (1841–1866), Lillywhite, 1862–1867
- John Major, More Than A Game, HarperCollins, 2007 – includes the famous 1859 touring team photo taken on board ship at Liverpool