Thomas Wass

Who was Thomas Wass?

Thomas Wass was a Nottinghamshire bowler who is best remembered, along with Hallam, for bowling that gave Nottinghamshire a brilliant County Championship win in 1907. Wass also holds the record for the most wickets taken for Nottinghamshire - 1633 for 20.34 each.

Tall and solidly built, Wass had a highly rhythmic run-up that allowed him to be, in his prime, fast through the air. However, it was his leg-cutter that made him formidable, and Wass unlike most fast bowlers of the time was very dangerous after rain but less effective on a firm pitch when the ball did not turn. He also had a very difficult slower ball that on his best days caught many batsmen unaware. Wass was a very moderate fieldsman and had no pretensions to be a batsman – though he did score 56 against Derbyshire in 1906, he was dropped four times in doing so.

Wass began his career in local cricket but became a professional for Edinburgh Academicals and Liverpool.