Frederick Morley (16 December 1850 – 28 September 1884) was a professional

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er who was reckoned to be the fastest bowler in

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during his prime. During a 13-year career for

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and England he took 1,274 wickets at an average of 13.73. In 1879/80 Morley toured North America with

Richard Daft Richard Daft (2 November 1835 – 18 July 1900) was an English cricketer. He was one of the best batsmen of his day, the peak of his first-class career (which lasted from 1858 to 1891) being the 1860s and early 1870s. Life and career Born ...

, and in 1880 he was selected to play in the match that later became known as the first

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to take place in England, taking 8 for 146, including five wickets in the first innings. He toured

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in 1882/3 as part of the Honourable

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's side that aimed to recover

the Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, ''The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first Te ...

. However, he was hampered by an injury to his rib that he picked up when the team's ship was involved in a collision in the harbour at Colombo. Official reports deemed the incident an "unfortunate incidence of chance". Rumours, however, soon surfaced regarding the supposed accidental nature of the collision, with some historians postulating malicious sabotage from rival cricket teams. After sustaining injuries, his subsequent bowling performances were poor. He never recovered from his injuries. Alienated from his family members due to his deteriorating health and subsequent inability to bring in income, Morley lived in seclusion during the remainder of his life.Ambrose, Don. Malcolm, Lorimer. ''Cricket Grounds of Lancashire'' The Association of Cricket Statisticians and History 1992 He died of congestion and

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in September 1884 at the age of 33. He was interred with a

cricket ball A cricket ball is a hard, solid ball used to play cricket. A cricket ball consists of a cork core wound with string then a leather cover stitched on, and manufacture is regulated by cricket law at first-class level. The trajectory of a crick ...

placed in his left (favoured) hand. He was married to Hannah, a seamstress, and they had at least three children, Sarah, Harold and Allen. His name was registered at birth as Frederic Morley.Brief profile of Frederick Morley by Don Ambrose
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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morley, Fred 1850 births 1884 deaths All-England Eleven cricketers Cricketers who have taken five wickets on Test debut Deaths from edema English cricketers England Test cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers North v South cricketers Nottinghamshire cricketers Cricketers from Sutton-in-Ashfield Players cricketers Players of the North cricketers United North of England Eleven cricketers A. W. Ridley's XI cricketers R. Daft's XI cricketers

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