John Wisden Emerges as a Bowler — Sussex and AEE, late 1840s

Sussex cricket in the 1840s, anchored on the Brighton ground, was the home of William Lillywhite's roundarm tradition. Wisden grew up on the Brighton ground staff and was the natural heir to the Sussex bowling line.

Wisden's first-class debut in 1845 was at 18; his selection for the AEE in 1847 confirmed his place among the leading professionals at 21.

Wisden was born at Brighton in 1826 and joined the Sussex ground staff at Brighton as a teenager. He bowled fast roundarm with surprising pace for his slight build — contemporaries called him 'the Little Wonder' — and made his first-class debut for Sussex in 1845 at the age of 18. By 1847 he had taken his place in William Clarke's All-England Eleven; by 1849 he was the principal fast bowler of the side. His emergence as one of the leading professionals of the late 1840s was the foundation of everything that followed: the all-ten-bowled feat for North v South in 1850, the cricket-equipment partnership with George Parr's brother in 1855, the breakaway United All-England Eleven (with James Dean) in 1852, and the publication of the first Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 1864. His 1840s career is the bowling-pace counterpart to Parr's batting emergence.

Wisden's career through the 1850s was extraordinary: 10 wickets in an innings (all bowled) for North v South in 1850; co-founder of the United All-England Eleven in 1852; a major bowler on the Stephenson tour of Australia in 1861-62 was averted only because by then he had retired with rheumatism. He founded John Wisden & Co. in 1855 and the Almanack in 1864.