Sydney Barnes

Sydney Francis Barnes was born on April 19 1873 in Smethwick, Staffordshire. He was the second of five children and worked for the same company in Birmingham for 63 years. He briefly played county cricket for Lancashire in 1902 and 1903, meeting with only moderate success by his own standards despite several superb performances. However, after a contractual dispute near the end of 1903, Barnes played no more first-class county cricket, instead playing for Staffordshire in the Minor Counties Championship and the Lancashire League. His record for Staffordshire was 1441 wickets at a cost of 8.15 runs per wicket, and his average in the Lancashire League was even lower.

Related Topics:
April 19 - 1873 - Smethwick - Staffordshire - Birmingham - County cricket - Lancashire

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Barnes was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1910. His 49 wickets against South Africa in 1913-14 is still the record for any bowler in a Test series, although he only played in four Tests. In all, he took 189 Test wickets; his average of 16.43 and strike rate of 41.65 are the second lowest (after the incredible 10.75 and 34.11 of George Lohmann) of any bowler who has taken at least 75 Test wickets.

Related Topics:
Wisden Cricketer of the Year - South Africa - Test series - Strike rate - George Lohmann

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After taking eight wickets for the Players in the 1914 Gentlemen v Players, it was to be 13 years before Barnes again played first-class cricket, in the first of nine appearances for Wales between 1927 and 1930. He took 49 first-class wickets for Wales, including 7-51 and 5-67 in an eight-wicket triumph over the West Indians in 1928. He also made two first-class appearances for Minor Counties in 1929, recording an outstanding innings analysis of 32-11-41-8 in a drawn match against the South Africans at Stoke-on-Trent.

Related Topics:
Gentlemen v Players - Wales - West Indians - Minor Counties - Innings analysis - South Africans - Stoke-on-Trent

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Barnes' final first-class game was against MCC at Lord's in 1930, when he was 57 years old; he took 2-57. He played minor county and league cricket well into his sixties and died aged 94 on Boxing Day, 1967 in Chadsmoor, Staffordshire.

Related Topics:
MCC - Lord's - Boxing Day - 1967

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