Arthur Fielder

Who was Arthur Fielder?

Arthur Fielder was the leading fast bowler in English cricket for the decade before World War I and one of the key contributors to Kent's four County Championship successes between 1906 and 1913.

In some ways the founder of modern fast bowling, Fielder was the first fast bowler to rely on swing rather than the traditional break-back. He took a fairly long run for his time and could make the ball move away from leg stump to off with great effect. On the very fast pitches that prevailed in his time in dry weather Fielder could be a very dangerous bowler, especially with Kent's array of slip fieldsmen. This swerve, and an occasional break-back that bowled many batsmen made Fielder still effective even when his pace declined after 1909.

Whilst strictly a tail-end batsman, he scored an undefeated 112 against Worcestershire at Stourbridge batting at number 11 and shared a partnership of 235 for the tenth wicket with Frank Woolley who scored 185. This is still the highest last-wicket partnership in county cricket. The pair came together when Kent were still 40 behind Worcestershire's first innings of 360 and raised Kent's total to 555. Kent went on to win by an innings. Woolley had retired hurt earlier in the innings after being hit in the mouth by a ball from Ted Arnold. Fielder also took part in a tenth-wicket stand with Sydney Barnes that gave England the first victory by one wicket in the history of Test cricket.