William Victor Fox

William Victor Fox (8 January 1898 – 17 February 1949) was an English sportsman who played both cricket and football to a high level.

William Fox
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Victor Fox
Born(1898-01-08)8 January 1898
Middlesbrough, England
Died17 February 1949(1949-02-17) (aged 51)
Withington, Manchester, England
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1923–1932Worcestershire
Career statistics
Competition FC
Matches 163
Runs scored 6,654
Batting average 26.61
100s/50s 11/26
Top score 198
Balls bowled 209
Wickets 2
Bowling average 68.50
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 1–13
Catches/stumpings 89/0
Source: CricketArchive, 1 August 2008

Cricket

Fox made his first-class debut for Worcestershire in May 1923, making 5 and 7 in an innings defeat against Hampshire at Southampton.[1] However, thereafter he contributed some useful innings throughout the season and ended not far short of a thousand runs, including his maiden century, an unbeaten 178 against Northamptonshire.[2] His average that summer was a useful 32.70, but his career came to an enforced (though temporary) end at the end of the season when Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) ruled that his qualification was invalid.[3]

Fox's cricketing career resumed in 1926, and from then until 1930 he was a regular in the Worcestershire team. In a usually weak batting side, Fox performed well, making his thousand runs in 1926, 1928 and 1929, and missing out by a single run in 1927.[4] His best season was 1929; in this year he made 1,457 first-class runs at an average of 31, with two hundreds and seven fifties. It was in 1929 also that Fox hit his career-best innings: 198 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.[5]

His form fell away in 1930, and after hitting 134 against Lancashire at the start of July[6] Fox made only one further half-century in 15 innings that year.[7] He played not at all in 1931, and although he appeared four times in 1932 he did nothing of any note in those games.

He was a strictly occasional bowler, sending down fewer than 35 overs in his career and claiming just two first-class wickets. His victims were both substantial cricketers: Yorkshire's George Macaulay in 1926[8] and Leicestershire's Alan Shipman in 1929.[9]

Fox died at the early age of 51 following an operation, leaving Mrs Frances Vera Fox and son Kenneth Fox.[3]

Football

Fox played football for Middlesbrough, Wolves and Newport County.[3]

Notes
  1. "Hampshire v Worcestershire in 1923". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  2. "Northamptonshire v Worcestershire in 1923". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  3. Obituary. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1950.
  4. "First-class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by William Fox". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  5. "Warwickshire v Worcestershire in 1929". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  6. "Lancashire v Worcestershire in 1930". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  7. "Player Oracle". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  8. "Yorkshire v Worcestershire in 1926". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  9. "Worcestershire v Leicestershire in 1929". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 August 2008.

References
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