Thomas Wilson ( fl. 1880s) was an English

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 played for

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

in a single match in the 1880 cricket season. His birth and death details are not known. Wilson was described in a contemporary reference as "a fast right-handed bowler with a low delivery". He played for the Middlesex "Colts" team in May and June 1880 and in a trial match on a June Saturday against the

Orleans Club The Orleans Club was a London-based cricket club that existed from 1878 to 1888 and took part in four first-class matches. It was founded by C. I. Thornton who had organised occasional teams to play on the Orleans Club Ground at Orleans Road, Tw ...

he took nine wickets, including those of influential amateurs C. I. Thornton and

A. J. Webbe Alexander Josiah Webbe (16 January 1855 – 19 February 1941) was a cricketer who played for Oxford University and Middlesex. He also played one Test match for England. After being schooled at Harrow School, he went on to Trinity College, Oxfo ...

. That led to his instant selection for the full Middlesex side for a county match against

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

that started the following Monday, alongside Thornton and Webbe and facing the three Grace brothers. In what proved to be his sole first-class appearance for the Middlesex side, Wilson's bowling was attacked by

E. M. Grace Edward Mills Grace (28 November 1841 – 20 May 1911) was an English first-class cricketer in the second half of the 19th century who was an all-rounder, batting right-handed and bowling slow right arm underarm. He played for Gloucestershire C ...

in particular: '' The Field'' reported that "amongst his race'sitems made off Wilson were two drives, a cut and a leg-hit, for each of which four runs were obtained". Wilson failed to take a wicket in 20 four-ball overs, at a cost of 31 runs. Batting at No 11, he scored 5 runs in the only innings in which he batted, the runs coming from a single stroke off E. M. Grace, before he was caught at slip off

Billy Midwinter William Evans Midwinter (19 June 1851 – 3 December 1890) was a cricketer who played four Test cricket, Test matches for English cricket team, England, sandwiched in between eight Tests that he played for Australian cricket team, Australia. Mi ...

, who took seven Middlesex wickets. Wilson became the cricket professional and coach at

Hitchin Hitchin () is a market town and unparished area in the North Hertfordshire Districts of England, district in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 35,842. History Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce peopl ...

Cricket Club in

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

and between 1883 and 1889, he made eight appearances in non-first-class matches for

Hertfordshire County Cricket Club Hertfordshire County Cricket Club is one of twenty minor county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Hertfordshire. The team is currently a member of the Minor Counties Champio ...

against other county sides. In 1885, the annual match between Hertfordshire and the

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

was played at Hitchin for the benefit of Wilson, who was then described as "one of the county professional bowlers".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Thomas English cricketers Middlesex cricketers Hertfordshire cricketers