Greatest Cricket Moments

Death of Thomas Howard — Surrey's Late-Underarm Fast Bowler, 1829

1829-04-23n/aDeath of Thomas Howard, Surrey professional, April 18291 min readSeverity: Mild

Summary

On 23 April 1829 Thomas Howard — the Surrey fast underarm bowler who had been the leading pace exponent of the period 1809-1815 — died at Mitcham aged around forty-nine. Howard's death is the closing of one of the major late-underarm-era careers and a marker of the era's mortality.

What Happened

Howard had taken his first major-match wickets in 1805 and had broken through with his 9-wicket performance at the new Middle Ground in 1809. Through the period 1809-1815 he was the leading fast underarm bowler in England. He retired from major cricket in 1822 and ran a small public house at Mitcham. He died in April 1829.

Timeline

c. 1780

Howard born at Mitcham

1809

Breakthrough 9-wicket match at the new Middle Ground

1822

Final major match

23 Apr 1829

Dies at Mitcham

⚖️ The Verdict

The passing of one of the leading bowlers of the late underarm era.

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