By Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (April 15^th 2025)

Flawed Leadership and Suspect Action

Charles (CB) Fry was not cut out for leadership. Even though he never lost a Test Match as captain, his leadership was questioned – he was even booed in his last Test Match as captain. This was a slight he did not forget or forgive. After winning the Test Match Fry spurned the crowd’s requests to appear on the balcony for them to greet. Sussex had slipped down the table after his friend Prince Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji had to prioritise his political responsibilities above cricket.

Fry was a complex character. His bowling action was suspect. English cricket had been plagued by a chucking controversy since the 1880s – it resurfaced with a vengeance towards the end of the 1890s. Lancashire’s Arthur Mold had played only three Test Matches. His action had long been considered dubious. His career ended in 1901 after former player turned umpire, James Phillips no-balled him for throwing in 1900 and 1901. Prior to that Phillips had been one of the umpires who no-balled Fry for throwing in 1898. But where Mold’s career petered out, Fry’s did not. He played Test Matches under the same captain who had led Mold in country cricket, Archibald (AC) MacLaren, but unlike Mold, Fry continued playing for many more years.

Early Internationals

Fry played for England in 26 Test Matches – the last of which was nearly a decade-and-a-half after the chucking controversy of 1898. Fry made his début for England in February 1896 against South Africa at Gqeberha, then known as Port Elizabeth. England thrashed the newcomers with a team of largely unfamiliar players by 288 runs. Surrey’s George Lohmann took 7 for 38 in South Africa’s first innings total of 93 all out and an incredible 8 for 7 in the second innings in which South Africa made a miserable 30 all out. Lohmann ended the match with a hat-trick. The match included 15 players making their débuts.

Fry made 43 and 15 in his first Test Match. England won the Second Test Match in Johannesburg by an innings and 197 runs – Fry made 64. Lohmann took 9 for 28 in South Africa’s first innings of 151 all out. Following on the hosts were dismissed for 134. Lohman took three wickets. Hampshire’s Christopher Heseltine took 5 for 38 on his début in the second innings – the only wickets he took in the 2 Test Matches that he played.

South Africa lost the Third Test Match in Cape Town by an innings and 33 runs, even though England only made 265 when they batted. South Africa made 115 all out in their first innings – Lohmann took 7 for 42 and 1 for 45 in the second innings where the South Africans were dismissed for 117. Fry didn’t play in this Test Match and had not bowled in either Test that he played in the series.

A New Era

Fry did not play another Test Match until 1899 – this was after he had been no-balled for chucking. That match the First Test Match against Australia involved two very important débuts, Wilfred Rhodes and Victor Trumper and the exit of one of cricket’s all-time greats, the then England captain, WG Grace.

Fry made his second half-century in the first innings, exactly 50. It was said that Ranjitsinhji’s recommendation had helped Fry’s cause. Trumper made a duck in the first innings and 11 in the second. It was Nottingham’s Test Match début too.

International Hypocrisy

Ernie Jones, long suspected of chucking bowled to great effect in that series for Australia without complaint.

Australia made 421 all out. Both Clem Hill and Trumper scored 135. Seven England players bowled in that innings, but not Fry. Australia won that match – the Second Test Match at Lord’s – by 10 wickets. Archibald MacLaren took over England’s captaincy from Grace and bot Ranjitsinhji and Fry failed with the bat. The Third Test at Leeds was drawn. The Fourth Test Match in Manchester was drawn. In Australia’s second innings eight players bowled for England – Fry was not among them.

In the Fifth Test Match at the Oval which was also drawn both Ranjitsinhji and Fry made half centuries and in Australia’s second innings eight bowlers were used – Fry bowled his first two overs for England. Stanley Jackson and Tom Hayward both scored centuries in England’s only innings. Australia won the series 1-0 – Jones had played an important part for Australia and Fry had been allowed to bowl for England despite being labelled a chucker the season before.

In December 1901 England won the First Test Match at Sydney by an innings and 124 runs – this was after the captains’ meeting about chucking and the MCC’s ‘action’ on it. Australia won the series 4-1 – neither Fry nor Ranjitsinhji played in that series. Ernie Jones took 1 for 98 in the First Test Match and none in the Second Match – he didn’t play in the other three matches in the series. Bob Crockett, an umpire who victimised the Aboriginal Jack Marsh saw nothing wrong with Jones’ action, stood in this series.