Not many remember, now, the extraordinary story of Tom Spedegue, and how he won the Ashes for England, though it was the unlikeliest tale. Spedegue was a schoolteacher from the little village of Bishops Bramley, who had never played so much as an innings of first class cricket when he was called up for the fifth Test in 1928. It was a difficult decision for the selectors. One bolstered himself with whisky-and-soda, and another kept his passport in his pocket so he could make a swift getaway if it all went wrong. He didn’t need it. Spedegue took seven for 31 in the first innings, eight for 61 in the second. England won the match by an innings and some, the series three to two.
Continue reading...A history of mystery: from McKibbin and Spedegue to Iverson and Gleeson | Andy Bull
Mystery spinners are far from new to the game but the puzzle they pose is an enduring one