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English
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England
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ENG
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Albert Relf
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Cricket_no_picpng
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Right-hand bat
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Right-arm medium
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13
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416
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2311
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-/1
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63
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1764
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25
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2496
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1
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-
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5/85
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14/-
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565
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22238
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2679
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26/112
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189
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108193
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1897
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2094
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114
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23
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9/95
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535/-
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11 December
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1903
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27 February
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1914
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, born at
Burwash, East Sussex on
June 26 ,
1874 , and died at
Wellington College ,
Berkshire on
March 26 ,
1937 , was a
Cricketer who played for
Sussex and
England .
Relf was an
All-rounder who batted in the middle order and bowled off-breaks at medium pace with great accuracy. He played
Minor Counties cricket for
Norfolk before, at the age of 25, joining Sussex where he was an instant success. Initially played as a batsman, his bowling developed in 1903 to the point where he was picked for the
MCC tour to Australia under
Plum Warner . He played in two Tests, helping
Tip Foster add 115 for the ninth wicket in his first match at
Sydney .
Most of Relf's 13-match Test career, though, was played on two tours to South Africa in 1905-06 and 1913-14, and he played only once against
Australia in England, taking five wickets for 85 in a total of 350 at
Lord's in 1909, but then being dropped to accommodate
Sydney Barnes for the remainder of the series. In the first Test at
Johannesburg in 1905-06, he bowled the ball, allegedly down the leg-side, that enabled South Africa to record the first-ever victory over England. Warner, again his captain, was reported to have sighed: "Oh, Albert. How could you?"
In county cricket, Relf was prolific, achieving the "double" of 1000 runs and 100 wickets eight times, with a best in 1913 of 1846 runs and 141 wickets. He was a
Wisden Cricketer Of The Year in 1914 where his batting "style" excited comment which was largely repeated in his obituary in
Wisden 24 years later. "No one seeing him for the first time would suppose him capable of getting his hundreds in high-class company," Wisden said. "He has a way of letting the ball hit the bat that is certainly not impressive to the eye. Still, the fact remains, that season after season he makes as many runs as men who look twice as good as he is."
Relf played on after the
First World War , scoring 153 against
Leicestershire at
Horsham in his final season, 1921. By this time, Relf's appearances were limited as he had succeeded his father as cricket coach at Wellington College, and he played later for
Berkshire in the Minor Counties.
Relf shot himself at Wellington, apparently depressed by the illness of his wife.
His two younger brothers, Robert and Ernest, also played
First-class Cricket .
