Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/414

, like the majority of first-class cricketers I have known, or read of, improvement in play is invariably accompanied by increase of weight and strength, and he was at his best in 1850, in his twenty-fifth year, when he weighed about 11 st. He bowled very fast when he began, but was slower in 1850, and more successful. The 15th and 16th of July of that year were memorable days for him. Playing for the North v. South, he clean-bowled all ten wickets in the second innings. It was a first-class match, which made the feat all the more remarkable. A very good authority who witnessed the performance told me that he kept up his break from the off from one to two feet right through the innings. He was infected with the success of Clarke's slows, and not unfrequently took to that kind of bowling when his round-arm failed. As a batsman he played very straight and was most patient.

William Woof was born at Gloucester, July 9th, 1859. He was tried for the Gloucestershire Colts in 1878, and bowled so well that he was chosen to play for his county in one or two of the matches the same season. The year after he was engaged on the Old Trafford Ground at Manchester; but securing an engagement at Cheltenham College in 1880, he again played for Gloucestershire, and has done so every year since. He showed great improvement the next year or two, and I obtained him a position on the staff of ground-bowlers at Lord's in 1882, where he continued for some years. He returned to Cheltenham College as their coach, and is there still.

Without doubt he is one of the best slow left-hand bowlers at the present time, and on a sticky wicket as good as anyone. He has great command of the ball, and has a good break from leg; and now and then, without a change of action, he can put in a puzzling one which comes with his arm and gets quickly off the