Lancashire player number 52 - Wright, Rev. Frank Wynyard by Don Ambrose

---

Player:

FW Wright

---

Lancashire 1869-75
Born 6.4.1844 Woodstock, Oxfordshire
Died 15.2.1924 Eastbourne, Sussex

 

The son of the Rev F.B.Wright, Rector of Broughton, Manchester, who was a member of the Winchester Eleven 1825-26 and was a member of the Oxford Eleven that played Cambridge in the second University match, at the Magdalen Ground Oxford in 1829.

 

He was educated at Rossall where he was in the cricket Eleven for the five years 1858-62.

 

On 24th June 1861, playing for the Present versus the Past at Rossall he scored 198 not out and took four catches. On 11th to 13th July 1861 he played in his first important match, the Gentlemen of the North against the Gentlemen of the South at The Oval, scoring 14 and 1: he was only 17 years old. In 1862 he played for Twenty Past and Present Rossallians against the All England Eleven, at Rossall, scoring 41 and 10, a score only exceeded in the match by Tom Hayward with 53.

 

5ft. 9 inches tall and weighing 10 stone, he was a stylish middle order batsman, "rather too fond of hitting," a fine slip field and a useful wicket-keeper.

 

On 17th and 18th July 1862 he played his first match at Lord's, scoring 1 and 23 not out for the Gentlemen of the North against the Gentlemen of the South. A few days later on the 26th and 27th July he played for the Norrth against the South scoring 50 in his only innings.

 

He went up to St.John's College, Oxford in 1862 and was a regular member of the University Eleven for the next three years, gaining his Blue on three occasions. In 1863 he was picked for the Gentlemen for the only time.

 

He gained his B.A. in 1866 and took Holy Orders. He was appointed Curate of All Souls, Bradford 1867-68 and of Broughton, Manchester 1868-70; his father's parish.

 

He had first played for the Gentlemen of Lancashire in 1861 and he played in twelve further matches for them up to 1874, with a top score of 73 against the Gentlemen of Shropshire in 1864. A few days after that match, on 15th and 16th July he played his first match for Lancashire, against Birkenhead Park at Birkenhead, in their second match, when he scored 41 and 11. He now played for the Lancashire team whenever his duties allowed and on 24th June 1869 he scored 120 not out for them against Sussex at Old Trafford; his highest first-class score.

 

Between 1861 and 1873 he played for Cheshire on nine occassions, scoring 317 runs, with a top score of 84 not out, and taking 34 wickets. He also played for Oxfordshire.

 

In 1870 he was appointed Rector of Hedsor, Buckinghamshire, but he still managed to play in the occasional match until the end of the 1875 season. Early in 1876 he took up a teaching position at The Grange Preparatory School, Eastbourne, of which he became a partner with Councillor Frederick Hollins.

 

At Eastbourne in June 1876 playing for Masters against Colleges and Schools he scored 307 not out, in under four hours. On 27th July 1877, for Devonshire Park Eastbourne, against Reigate he scored 206.

 

He was for many years a member of the committee of the Eastbourne Cricket Club and a very popular vice-president. A keen cyclist he rode regularly until just before his death. He was a keen football supporter and attended a match only a few days before his death.

 

He retired from teaching at the age of seventy-five, living at "Chandos," King's-avenue, Eastbourne, until his death at the age of seventy-nine.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Don Ambrose)