James Horsley

Who was James Horsley?

James Horsley was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Nottinghamshire in 1913 and for Derbyshire from 1914 to 1925

Horsley was born at Melbourne, Derbyshire. He made his first class debut for Nottinghamshire in June 1913 against Yorkshire, when he took 2 wickets in the first innings, but never had the chance to bat. He managed three no balls and two wides in the match. In his second match against Hampshire he was stumped for a duck, took no wickets, and bowled four wides. He played one more match for Nottinghamshire against Middlesex, when he took a wicket but gave away no extras.

In 1914 Horsley switched to his native county Derbyshire and played a full pre-war season. He managed five five-wicket innings against Somerset, Yorkshire with 6 for 77, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire with a spectacular 6 for 17, and Worcestershire. Against Essex he bowled and in return was bowled by Johnny Douglas and in the Leicestershire match had a match haul of 10 wickets. Cricket was then interrupted by World War I, but he was back in the 1919 season with three 5 wicket innings, in one of which, he took 6 for 78 for Yorkshire.