AE Stoddart (1863-1915)

Published: 16 July, 2015
by STEVE BARNETT

THE crowds will flock to Lord’s today (Thursday) rightfully expecting to see England transform the home of cricket into a cauldron of excitement and ecstasy as they look to win back the Ashes from their old foe. 

With Alastair Cook’s side carrying a 1-0 lead over Australia into the second Test, why wouldn’t they be brimming with confidence? 

But no matter how much the fans fork out on tickets over the next five days, or four if the first Test is anything to go by, they won’t get to see a character as mesmerising, charming and all-consuming as Andrew Ernest Stoddart. 

Having spent more than 48 years researching and writing about “Drewy”, historian and leading cricket writer David Frith thinks it’s scandalous that a man who captained England in three different sports – cricket, rugby and Australian Rules – can so easily be forgotten. 

After reading his book, Stoddy: England’s Finest Sportsman, readers will be equally as stumped as to why such a flamboyant figure has seemingly been airbrushed from history. 

Using an abundance of well-researched knowledge and a carefully compiled collection of photographs, Mr Frith paints a picture of a sporting icon sadly missed in the game today. 

Author David Frith, left, with Hampstead Cricket Club chairman, actor Jim Carter, unveiling a statue of AE Stoddart at the club’s ground in Lymington Road in May

In one extraordinary tale Stoddy recovered from a night of dancing and playing cards with friends till dawn by setting a world record of 485 runs in a single day for Hampstead Cricket Club against Stoics in 1886. After the knock, which included an eight, three fives, 63 fours, 20 threes, 36 twos and 78 singles, he, of course, went to play tennis, before finally going to the theatre. 

Even through Stoddy starred for Hampstead, Mr Frith explained how “Lord’s was his real home, and the Ashes and Australia were the theme of his adult life.” 

And it was in Australia that Stoddy enjoyed “one of the innings of his life” as he put in a record-breaking performance in the second Test in Melbourne in late December, 1894. 

He “thrilled spectators and team-mates alike” as he went on to score 173 in a spectacular second-innings showing, the highest ever knock in Australia by an England captain – a record that would stand for more than 80 years. 

His efforts in Melbourne helped England take a 2-0 lead in the 1894-95 Ashes series. In one of the most thrilling battles in the competition’s history, the hosts dramatically drew the scores level, but England ran out 3-2 victors after winning the final Test by six wickets. 

The idea that someone who has such a magical moment on their CV can be forgotten is something that Mr Frith describes as “a criminal offence.” 

“Any random search will attest that Stoddart has been paid less than his due honour. In cricket’s library wherever he is mentioned it is usually for the briefest, and often inaccurate, reference. He was a hero whose name has faded.” Like so many sporting heroes, Stoddart’s story takes a tragic turn. But it would be a crime not to let you discover that story for yourselves.

• Stoddy: England’s Finest Sportsman by David Frith, from Von Krumm Pub­lishing, £17.