James Southerton

James Southerton
Born	Template:Birth date Petworth, Sussex, England
Died	June 16, 1880(1880-06-16) (aged 52) Mitcham, Surrey, England
Occupation(s)	Professional cricketer, umpire, publican, barber
Years active	1854–1879 (cricket)
Known for	First Test cricket debutant at age 49; first bowler to take 200 wickets in a first-class season; "Man of Many Counties"

James Southerton (16 November 1827 – 16 June 1880) was a professional English cricket player whose first-class career extended over 26 seasons, from 1854 until 1879. Originally recognized as a specialist right-handed batsman, he later concentrated on bowling, evolving into an exceptional slow bowler employing a roundarm technique.

During the 1870 season, Southerton became the pioneer bowler to claim 200 first-class wickets within a single season. He joined James Lillywhite's touring squad to Australia in 1876–77 and represented England against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in what was the inaugural Test match. At 49 years and 119 days, he holds the record as the oldest player to debut in a Test match. On the domestic front, Southerton mainly played for Hampshire, Surrey, and Sussex. His participation across several counties in a single season earned him the moniker 'Man of Many Counties' and led to the establishment of residence qualification rules prior to the 1873 season.

In addition to playing, Southerton occasionally officiated as an umpire between 1864 and 1879. During his last ten years, he managed The Cricketers pub located in Mitcham. He was the first Test cricketer to pass away, dying from pleurisy in June 1880 at age 52.

Early career

Born in Petworth, Sussex on 16 November 1827, James Southerton's family relocated to Mitcham, Surrey when he was only three months old. Professionally a barber, he made his first-class debut for Surrey against Sussex at the Hove in 1854. The subsequent season saw him represent Surrey twice more: once versus an All-England Eleven and once against Sussex. In 1857, he appeared for Surrey against Manchester at the Eccles. Prior to the start of the 1858 season, Southerton moved from Surrey to Sussex, featuring in four first-class matches that year and one combined fixture representing both Kent and Sussex against Surrey; however, he withdrew from this due to exhaustion. In 1859, he returned for a single game facing the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's. Initially focusing on batting, Southerton achieved modest success with only one season batting average surpassing ten.

'Man of Many Counties'

Continuing with Sussex through 1860, Southerton also played for the South team in the annual North v South match held at Sleaford. The following year, he secured engagement with Hampshire based at the Antelope Ground, participating in one first-class match against MCC. Although Hampshire lacked major fixtures in 1862, Southerton took part in minor games for Southampton’s Union Club. He remained with Hampshire until 1867 while also appearing for Surrey and Sussex intermittently—this multi-county involvement earned him the nickname 'The Man of Many Counties' before regulations curtailed such cross-county play.

During exclusive play for Hampshire in 1865 and 1866, Southerton’s right-arm slow bowling emerged as his principal skill. Unlike the dominant roundarm fast bowlers of that period, his slower deliveries utilized deceptive flight and sharp spin achieved through a twisting motion combined with varied pace. This bowling style posed considerable challenges to batsmen unfamiliar with such tactics, particularly on unprepared pitches where his deliveries turning off the off stump were difficult to handle. His tactical variations were instrumental in Hampshire’s first-ever first-class victory against Surrey in 1865, where he claimed seven wickets for 45 runs. That year, he took a total of 21 wickets across three matches and followed up with 32 wickets from four matches in 1866.

In 1867, Southerton captured 132 wickets at an average of 14.14, including nineteen five-wicket hauls and five instances of ten wickets in a match; this increase was partly due to Surrey’s expanded fixture list. After leaving the Antelope Ground before the 1868 season, he played sixteen games split between Surrey and Sussex and represented the Players of the South against the Gentlemen of the South. Benefiting from an exceptionally hot summer that year, he secured 151 wickets to become England’s leading bowler. The following year, he took 136 wickets at an average of 15.30.

In 1870, Southerton set a new benchmark by becoming the first bowler to achieve over 200 wickets during a first-class season while participating in more than half of England’s fixtures that year. At age 42, he made his debut for the Players side in the prestigious Gentlemen v Players contest. During this era, he was regarded as the sole bowler capable of challenging batting legend W. G. Grace. From 1871 through 1875, he consistently surpassed the century mark in wickets each season. A highlight came on a sticky wicket at Lord's on 17 May 1875 when he took an impressive sixteen wickets for just fifty-two runs in a single day for the South versus the North, including his career-best innings figures of nine for thirty. Remarkably, that season he bowled over six thousand deliveries without conceding any wides while playing for Surrey.

Test cricket and subsequent career

Southerton joined W. G. Grace's squad on the 1873–74 tour, although none of the fixtures were classified as first-class matches. He openly criticized Grace’s leadership, describing it as "damn bad captain." Although his wicket tally decreased in 1876 (136 wickets compared to the previous year), he traveled to Australia as the deputy to James Lillywhite. After competing in a first-class game against New South Wales, Southerton took part in the historic first-ever Test match between England and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). At 49 years and 119 days old, he holds the record as the oldest player to debut in Test cricket. In his debut, he disrupted a crucial partnership by taking 3 for 61 during Australia's initial innings. In the second Test at the MCG just twelve days later, he secured 4 for 46, playing a key role in England’s four-wicket win that evened the series. His aggregate Test wickets totaled seven with a bowling average of 15.28. He also accompanied the team on their New Zealand tour, although no official matches were contested there.

Upon returning to England, advancing age began to impact his effectiveness; in 1877, he fell short of taking 100 first-class wickets for the first time since 1866, despite maintaining a respectable bowling average. This decline persisted through 1878 and 1879, with fewer outings for Surrey but steady averages. Renowned for a "very slow deliberate throw," his bowling occasionally sparked questions about legality similar to those surrounding Lancashire’s Alec Watson, yet he was never officially penalized for throwing. Southerton retired following the 1879 season and was honored with a benefit match during the North v South fixture at The Oval, despite adverse weather conditions. After retirement, Surrey appointed him as superintendent of bowlers at The Oval.

Playing style and career statistics

Southerton’s first-class career spanned from 1854 to 1879 and began primarily as a batsman with modest achievements. Characterized as an aggressive batsman, he amassed 3,159 runs across 286 matches at an average of 9.02, with a highest score of 82 but no centuries. His reputation was chiefly built on his slow bowling, evolving from roundarm to overarm techniques. Together with Alfred Shaw, he emerged as one of the preeminent slow bowlers of the 1870s, capturing 1,682 wickets at an average of 14.43. He recorded five-wicket hauls on 192 occasions and took ten wickets in a match 59 times. His standout contributions came while representing Surrey (995 wickets), Sussex (269 wickets), and the South (183 wickets). Additionally, Southerton was an adept slip fielder, securing 215 catches throughout his career, including 109 for Surrey.

Umpiring

Southerton began officiating first-class games in 1864 but only became a regular umpire between 1877 and 1879, overseeing ten matches during that period. W. G. Grace described him as a somewhat "hazy" umpire prone to mistakes, recalling a significant incident on their 1873–74 Australian tour where Southerton’s ruling on a contentious catch influenced both scoring and dismissal decisions.

Personal life and death

Around 1870, Southerton became landlord of The Cricketers public house and hotel located at Mitcham Cricket Green, where he also lived. He earned popularity among visiting Australian players by frequently hosting them during their training sessions on Mitcham Green. Notably, he was the first Test cricketer to pass away, dying from pleurisy at his home in Mitcham on 16 June 1880—only ten months after retiring from cricket. He had fallen ill shortly before a Surrey versus Middlesex derby match after catching a chill; though he initially showed signs of recovery, pleurisy soon developed.

His funeral at Mitcham Parish Church drew attendance from 118 professional and amateur cricketers representing various counties who formed a guard of honour. Among those present were former Surrey and Mitcham teammates such as C. W. Alcock, Edward Garland, Will Mortlock, William Shepherd, and John Swan. Several past and current cricketers acted as pallbearers including Frederick Gale, Frederick Harwood, Richard Humphrey, Thomas Mantle, Tom Sewell, and Edgar Willsher. A public subscription funded a memorial erected over his grave just over one year later.

He fathered one son with Sarah Pratt: Sydney James (1874–1935), who later served as editor of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack from 1934 until his death in 1935.