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Cricketers of the year

WW Whysall

W

15-Apr-1925
W. W. Whysall, who during the last few years has won such a prominent place in the Notts eleven, was born at Woodborough, on the 31st of October, 1887. Playing for Mansfield Woodhouse, he was brought to the notice of the Notts authorities, and as a batsman and wicket-keeper joined the ground staff at Trent Bridge in 1908. Perhaps the first hint of the fame in store for him as a batsman came in 1910, when for the Notts Second Eleven v. Staffordshire in the Minor Counties Championship, he played an innings of 140 against Barnes--then at the height of his fame as a bowler. On the strength of this fine performance Whysall was given a place in the Notts eleven in the last three matches that season. Scoring 50 against Derbyshire at Blackwell he was associated with George Gunn in a first wicket partnership of over a hundred runs. Still, his powers were slow in ripening, and he did not do much for Notts before the war. On the resumption of first class cricket in 1919 nothing was seen of him, but he came out again in 1920, and since then he has steadily gone ahead. He reached a high place in 1923, and last season, judged by results, he was easily the best of the Notts batsmen. On his batting alone he might well have been picked for the M.C.C.'s tour in Australia, but wicket-keeping gained him his place. In his style of play Whysall is a product of the new school, facing the bowler in the ultra-modern fashion. For this reason he will never look quite so good as he is, but his method is obviously the right one for him. Otherwise he would not make such big scores.