Hall of Fame: Bobby Abel, 1857-1936
Jack Hobbs was an England and Surrey favorite batsman who never hid his light under any followed him everywhere he traveled, and such talents he shared and displayed to cricket followers the world over. Bobby Abel, on the other hand, seemed to save his best knocks for the Oval, who habitually responded with calls of “Bob, Bob, Bob”, at the pavilion rails at the close of play. They sustained the chanting until their diminutive idol shyly came forward on to the balcony to acknowledge their cheers.
They hadn’t always been times of happy success for Bobby Abel with Surrey, for after being noticed as a good fielder, and a useful bowler, with Southwark Park Cricket Club, Surrey engaged him simply to perform at his best in these two departments. He joined Surrey in 1881 but found the step into top cricket very hard and demanding. It wasn’t until three years later that he started to make giant strides towards conquering his inadequacies in coping with the extra pace and accuracy of opposition bowlers.
The Guv’nor Abel made his initial breakthrough against the touring Australians in 1886 when compiling an impressive 144 runs. This, perhaps, was the Oval crowd’s first opportunity to show their appreciation of the opening batsman’s progress, for they made a collection of £68.4s.0d. No doubt they also recognized in Bobby Abel a small part of their cockney selves, for he was born at Rotherhithe on 20th November 1857—a true Londoner. It wasn’t long before they nicknamed him “The Guv’nor. Standing just 5’4”, and weighing ten stone, opening batsmen didn’t come much smaller than Abel (he could have been the original Ovalteeny).
Approaching the wickets with his partners sometimes caused a smile, for the difference in stature was remarkable. For the players, he opened with George Ulyett (nearly six feet tall), William Gunn (6’3″), and also John Tunnicliffe and Albert Ward, both well over six feet! When walking out with the bulky W. G. Grace for Enland, the pair looked like father and son! Bobby Abel’s regular Surrey partner was Tom Hayward, a giant at six feet plus. Such unusual instances of height differential were not helped by Abel’s pronounced waddling gait!
The popularity of this little man among his fellow players was boundless, although he seldom smiled when at the wicket, and his face often carried a serious expression. Bobby Abel’s modest, unassuming nature, and ever-pleasing personality, made him one of the most popular professionals of his time. Another aspect was his kindness in never refusing his autographs to any diffident youngsters.
Six catches in a match v. Derbyshire
It took hours of dedicated hard work to make himself into a proficient close-to-the-wicket fielder, especially at slip. He once took six catches in a match against Derbyshire at Derby in 1884. Playing at Portsmouth, against Hampshire in 1898, he ‘pouched’ five in an inning. His useful round-arm off-breaks were seldom needed with Surrey’s splendid all-round attack of Lohmann, Lockwood, and Richardson, but he was known to break up many a stubborn partnership. In Surrey’s championship year of 1887, Abel dismissed six Derbyshire batsmen for 15 runs. To complete his all-round usefulness to Surrey, he often took over the gloves when wicketkeeper Harry Wood was injured. Of course, it was as an opening batsman that Bobby Abel will be remembered.
Using endless patience and thoughtful defence, he could defend stubbornly when the occasion called for such measures, but using his large hands and supple wrists, he could cut and drive furiously. Seldom lifting the ball off the ground, his on-side play was unique. With deft footwork and judgment of length and pace honed to perfection, he amassed runs at the rate they were required, as his record shows.
He raced to a century before lunch one day at the Oval. Bobby Abel was regularly criticized for playing shots with his bat off perpendicular, especially against the speed of Kortright, Bradley, Sammy Woods, Mold, and Earnest Jones, the Australian. Such accusations of retreating to square leg could hardly be justified when comparing the numerous runs he scored off these quickies over the years. Indeed, Kortright considered him one of the most difficult batsmen to bowl against.
Lord Hawke and Gilbert Jessop both refuted the allegations of ‘walking’ leveled at Abel. Harry Altham, writing in a reflective mood, remembered seeing Bobby Abel face Kortright, wearing a bow tie! Another story conducive to Abel’s apprehension of fast bowling came after the aging Surrey star chided a youngster who retreated and lost his wicket. Dejectedly, the lad couldn’t contain his emotion. “Of course, you didn’t back away, Mr. Abel.”. “Yes, I did,” said Abel good-naturedly, and observing the distress his remark had caused continued, “The only difference was the fact that I left my bat there!” In the hands of an artist, the bat doesn’t always have to be straight, as was the case with Patsy Hendren.
357 not out v. Somerset, 1899
For someone supposedly timid about quick bowling, let us look at his Surrey record. After making his maiden century (110) against Gloucester at the Oval, in 1886, a match, incidentally, played at Easter as an experiment, he went on to make 63 others, and eight times he passed the 200 mark. These included massive knocks of 250 v. Warwickshire in 1897, 231 against Essex in 1896, and 221 against Worcestershire in 1900—all these innings were made at the Oval.
His highest knock was one of 357 not out against Somerset, in May 1899, again, needless to say, at the Oval. This was to remain a record until Archie MacLaren surpassed it in 1895 with prodigious innings of 424, and the luckless sufferers were again Somerset. At the time of Abel’s record-breaking effort, Surrey rewarded him with £5 because no one had carried his bat in such a large total (811), but when the Committee decided that £1 per 50 runs, with £5 the limit, was sufficient from then on, Bobby Abel said he would never go beyond 250 again—and he never did!
Bobby Abel’s lengthy partnerships for his county are legendary, but here are just a few instances that reveal a consistently high-scoring technique, and again, all secured on his home wickets: By Geoff Webb, The memorable stand of 1899 against Yorkshire was in a Surrey total of 551-7 after their opponents had amassed 704. This was a world record for 50 years, and still remains a fourth-wicket record in English cricket.
Bobby Abel and Tom Hayward finished with scores of 193 and 273, respectively. There were other opening stands of over 200 runs through the years, and how the Oval crowds bayed when Abel called for his sun-hat, for they knew that he felt like making runs when discarding his faded, but favorite, Surrey cap for the wider brimmed one. His partner, Tom Hayward, usually moved his chocolate-colored county cap more to the back of his head, the hotter he became.
Dr Crippen looks like
In appearance, Bobby Abel could best be described as a sandy-haired Dr. Crippen! When ‘Shrimp’ Leveson Gower jokingly remarked that he should be kept out of sight while the doctor’s murder trial ran its course at the Old Bailey, the Surrey star became so worried that he complied with the suggestion. Abel’s slightly bulbous eyes and bushy mustache enhanced the likeness. Bobby Abel’s fitness was never questioned, but Herbert Strudwick, Surrey’s eminent wicketkeeper, recalled the puzzling fact that even after a mammoth score, the opening bat showed no signs of perspiring. Another observation the old wicketkeeper mentioned concerned Abel’s appetite for run-making and a dislike of losing his wicket.
He had seen Bobby Abel return to the pavilion and practice in front of a mirror the shot he was dismissed by, even after scoring over 200! Once, when Strudwick had made a gift of his wicket in a vast Surrey score, Abel pointed out the possibility of making a high score on such a track if he had stayed! This outlook is not surprising when looking at Abel’s achievements for his county. From his 514 games, he reached over 1,000 runs in a season eight times, and over 2,000 on four occasions, giving a total of well over 27,000 runs.
Only Jack Hobbs, Tom Hayward, Herbert Strudwick and Andy Sandham played more games for Surrey, and Bobby Abel ranks as one of Surrey’s greatest, along with Hobbs, Hayward, Walter Read, and Jupp up to the 1930s. Of Abel’s 34 games for the Players, his preference for the Oval fixture is quite noticeable. He did play in some of the Lord’s games, but it was a well-known fact that he disliked playing at headquarters.
Incidentally, Canterbury was another ground he never relished, but this, apparently, was for superstitious reasons – he was certainly an enigma. To illustrate further Abel’s prodigious run-making capacity at the Oval, a glance at his scores there for the Players will suffice.
In 1894, he made 168, followed by a brilliant 195 in 1899. This last game will be remembered for the Gentlemen scoring over 300 in each inning but still losing by an inning. In 1900, he narrowly missed a century at Lord’s, but was probably still tired from scoring 153 not out in the fixture on his home pitch the week before.
The following year he set a record for the Gents v. Players when making 247, and this was to last until Jack Hobbs surpassed it at Scarborough in 1925 with 266. Bobby Abel must have gained much pleasure when captaining the Players on a few occasions.
379 for 1st wicket with Brockwell v. Hampshire, 1897
364 for 1st wicket with D. L. A. Jephson v. Derbyshire, 1900
306 for 3rd wicket with F. C. Holland v. Cambridge United, 1895
448 for 4th wicket with T. W. Hayward v. Yorkshire, 1899
334 for 4th wicket with T. W. Hayward v. Somerset, 1899
287 for 5th wicket with W. H. Lockwood v. Lancashire, 1899
Bobby Abel Test Debut
Bobby Abel made his home Test debut at Lord’s in 1888, this was the first of a three-match series. He top-scored in England’s innings victory with a magnificent 70 runs in the Second Test at the Oval. His next home Tests were another triple-game series in 1896, where at Lord’s, he again made the most runs in England’s first innings, with a solid 94. Bobby Abel was the first England player to “carry his bat.” He opens the batting and remains not out at the end of an inning—through a test inning. Also, he was the first player to score 2000 runs in consecutive seasons, which he did each season from 1895 to 1902.
The ‘Mighty Atom’ of Surrey was not average in sticking out for the pro’s rights when it came down to monetary awards. The year 1896 will be remembered for five professionals, namely Abel, Hayward, Lohmann, Richardson, and Gunn, deciding to strike before the Oval Test because the Test Match fee should be raised from £10 to £20. When the Surrey Committee agreed to consider their claim, Abel, Hayward, and Lohmann relented and played. The result was a massive fillip for pro cricket when the demand for an increase in test fees was accepted, and duly paid.
Robert Abel’s first Australian visit was with G. F. Vernon’s team in 1887/88, where he aggregated 320 runs from eight matches. In the winter of 1888/89, Major R. Gardner Wharton took a side to South Africa, which Sir C. Aubrey Smith skippered, and the first two Test matches were played between the countries. In the second at Cape Town, Bobby Abel scored 120 in England’s win by an innings and so became the first century-maker in Tests between South Africa and England. Therefore, England’s relentless bowling dismissed South Africa for a mere 47 and 43, thus scoring more than the opposition managed in both of their innings.
After other outstanding knocks, Abel brought home many gifts and various sums of prize money. He scored over 1,000 runs and averaged 48, more than double the aggregate and average of any other tourist. Bobby Abel made his third and final tour with Lord Sheffield’s side to Australia in 1891/92. On this trip, he finished second to skipper W. G. Grace in the averages with a total of nearly 400 runs at 38 per inning. In the second of the three Tests, Abel carried his bat for 132 not out, for which he received a cheque from Lord Sheffield for £50.
Bobby Abel could have gone to Australia yet again, with A. E. Stoddard’s team in 1894, but would not accept the normal £300 plus expenses – he wanted £500! In all first-class cricket, Bobby Abel was always in the top flight. In eight seasons from 1895 to 1902, he topped the 2,000 run mark, while his averages ranged from 41 to 56. His highest aggregate came in 1901 with well over 3,000 runs and included twelve centuries, made at the age of 42. In 1888, he boasted his confidence with one of the wettest summers ever, but that didn’t stop Abel from making over 1,300 runs and proving himself the best pro’ bat of the year. He made over 1,000 runs in a season 14 times.
Bobby Abel’s 32,600 runs in first-class cricket included 74 centuries, and he carried his bat on nine occasions. His 263 wickets may be surprising because we see so little evidence, but his 492 catches do not come as a shock when remembering his large hands! When Joe Darling’s Australians played Surrey at the Oval in 1902, they scored 296 for five wickets, but the home side were then caught on a ‘sticky’ after heavy rain.
Surrey was skittled for 96 and 122, but Bobby Abel used uncanny judgment in selecting which balls to play from those to leave alone. His scores of 34 and 36 were worth many more considering the conditions. In the return match, he made an impressive 104 against the might of Howell and Saunders. These performances are more remarkable when considering the batsman’s handicap of impaired vision.
In 1899, he set a remarkable record for Surrey against Somerset at the Oval, Bobby Abel carried his bat through an innings of a massive 811, the highest total for which this feat has been achieved. His 357* in that innings remains a Surrey record and was the highest score made at The Oval until Len Hutton scored 364 in 1938. In 1902, Bobby Abel also played a record number of first-class matches in a season: 4.
Failing eyesight
After a serious eye infection in 1893, Bobby Abel had to battle with failing eyesight for the rest of his life. Even during his last Surrey match against Somerset at Taunton in 1904, Bobby Abel looked positively all at sea. His was a sad farewell, and it was distressing for his followers to see him resort to spectacles on this unhappy occasion. They must have recalled those halcyon years from 1895 to 1902 with great affection and admiration, and how gratified they were to remember their idol’s benefit match against Yorkshire at his beloved Oval in 1895. Although rain caused the middle day to be abandoned, they turned up in great numbers to contribute donations amounting to £730. Bobby Abel had asked for the ‘Stand’ takings to be included in his final sum, but the Committee would not comply with his wishes. During his final days on the Surrey team,
Bobby Abel enjoyed cricketing moments to savor in later life. He had the pleasure of putting on over 100 for the first wicket with the young Jack Hobbs, in a Club and Ground game. He experienced happy times coaching the young Surrey players, the senior pros of Essex, and the pupils of Dulwich College, but, sadly, his disability forced him to give up these friendly engagements. Perhaps his proudest days as a spectator were when his sons, William John, and Thomas Ernest, both played their first games for Surrey. The former was a valued all-rounder from 1909 to 1926, and played 170 games, while T. E. moved on to Glamorgan to find his niche.
Wonderful…
Bobby Abel died at his home in Stockwell, quite near to the Oval, on December 10th, 1936, but it would be nice to remember him talking to an old adversary about past encounters, now recalled as dear friends. Such a vignette was enacted in a tiny shop close to the main gates of the Oval. Robert Abel ran a small sports establishment there and an adjoining cricket-bat manufacturing premises, from where he produced a very successful model that could only be named
The Guv’nor’.
One day Sammy Woods, Somerset’s popular fast bowler, visited this shop and addressed the small shirt-sleeved figure behind the counter who was replacing a box on a shelf. “Hello, Bobby, how are you?” the kindly giant asked.
Turning, and peering more closely through his thick glasses, the old Surrey champion smiled when realizing who stood there n the other side of the counter and moved around to meet him. “Lord, it’s Mister Sam, and the times you have nearly knocked my head off is wonderful, isn’t it?” Putting a massive arm around the little man’s stooped shoulders, Sammy Woods replied in his typically affectionate manner, “Yes, dear and the times you have made my shoulder ache are also wonderful!” Of such stories has the essence of cricket been compounded. In later life, Bobby Abel became completely blind. Bobby Abel had 11 children. Two sons also played cricket for Surrey: Tom and William.
Born: Bobby Abel was born on 30 November 1957
Died: 10 December 1936, at the age of 79 in Stockwell, London.
Nick Name: “The Guv’nor”,
Height: 5 feet 4 inches
Batting: Right-Hand batsman
