In My Mind's Eye Number 5: Arnold Warren (1875-1951)

Will Taylor was the secretary of Derbyshire CCC for 51 years, between 1908 and 1959. In his later days - and he lived until 1976 - he was happy to tell anyone who listened that the fastest bowler he had seen in the county colours was Arnold Warren. 

Considering the many fine names who appeared for Derbyshire in the intervening period, that is an impressive, informed opinion. It was not held by Taylor alone, however, as plenty of good judges in the era before the Great War declared Warren the fastest bowler in the country.

Descriptions of his run up and action remind me of Alan Ward, another who was upright, fluent and tall, not to mention lightning fast. Batting gloves and protective wear had moved on a little by that time, so one can only imagine the consternation when Warren, like Ward, first burst onto the scene, rattling barely-protected knuckles and ribs with balls that lifted, when ordinary bowlers struggled to get any bounce.

Warren came from Codnor, where his father and sons had a successful building firm. Some of those houses can still be seen today, but Arnold saw a career in sport as his first choice, after some fine performances in local cricket. He played his early cricket on the ground of the Butterley Company and made his first appearance for Derbyshire in 1897. It wasn't until 1902, after a decent apprenticeship, that he became established in the side, matching increased accuracy to the pace that was always there. 

His breakthrough year was 1904, when he became the first Derbyshire bowler to take a hundred wickets in a Championship season, taking 124 in 22 matches. Had there been Test matches that summer he may well have earned recognition. The Athletic News in August 1904 said that 'no bowler currently playing has anything like the devil, or break on a plumb wicket [combining] unplayable length with very sharp break back'. It also said that he 'would take many more wickets but for the poor fielding of his county' and suggested that England honours may be near.

That was to come in 1905, when the Australians were the visitors. He had earlier impressed the England captain, Yorkshire's F.S. Jackson, with match figures of 12-126 against his county and Warren was brought in for the third Test at Headingley.

In 19.2 overs he took 5-57, including the prize wicket of Victor Trumper, as well as Monty Noble, Joe Darling (the Australian captain) and Warwick Armstrong. Good wickets all and when he followed this with the wicket of Trumper again in the second innings he would have been excused for thinking he had done well.

He was never selected for his country again.

His second innings bowling was noticeably less menacing, according to reports of the time and the story ran that Warren, partial to alcohol like his team mate, Bill Bestwick, had "over-celebrated" with friends after his first innings heroics. He wasn't the only fast bowler on the circuit to enjoy the offerings of the beer tents and hostelries, but it offered too easy an excuse to exclude him in the future.

He could bat too and with his captain, John Chapman, he shared in a world record partnership for the ninth wicket of 283, against Warwickshire at Blackwell in 1910. They saved a game that looked hopelessly lost, though Warren too often got carried away with his hitting to repeat the century that he scored that day. Contemporary reports refer to him 'batting strongly', all too often appended 'but fleetingly'...

A strange accident in which he got ammonia fumes in his eyes while uncorking the bottle saw him admitted to Derby Infirmary in 1911, where only prompt medical attention as an in-patient prevented any detrimental effect on his sight. He played on for Derbyshire until 1913 (aside from a fleeting appearance in 1920) and a few lunchtime whiskies in the refreshment tent at Leicester in 1912 revived his spirits sufficiently for a devastating spell of 7-52 in 24 overs that won the game. That appetite for alcohol was more often having a detrimental effect, however and brushes with the law and a period of destitution saw him released at the age of 38.

He lied about his age and served in the Great War, where  he joined the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1915. He was badly wounded in 1917, suffering fractures to his neck, spine and right shoulder blade. Despite several months in hospital, he suffered constant pain thereafter, that one appearance in 1920 a minor miracle  in the circumstances. 

He umpired in first-class cricket through the 1920s and early 1930s and worked as a bricklayer at Ormonde Colliery until he retired in 1945. His personal life saw tragedy, the birth of a son, Martin, in 1906 tempered by the death of his wife the same year, after which he lived alone. He died in September 1951 and was buried in Crosshill Cemetery in Codnor, the mourners including Will Taylor and Denis Smith.

With Bill Bestwick he made up one of the finest, if least temperate  opening attacks in the county's history. On his day, he must have been quite spectacular to watch.

939 wickets at 24 runs each confirms his place in the local cricketing pantheon.

(Image sourced courtesy of David Griffin from the Derbyshire CCC Archive)