by Arunabha Sengupta
1889. The first time Wisden announced their cricketers of the year. Based on the 1888 summer.
There were six of them. In 1890 there were nine. It was only from 1891 that they decided on sticking to five.
Among the six of the inaugural year was an Aussie duo. Charlie Turner and JJ Ferris.
On that 1888 tour Turner took 283 wickets at 11.68. Ferris 199 at 14.74. They bowled 18,000 balls between them .
Australia upset England at Lord’s in spite of scoring just 116 and 60. Turner five for 27 and five for 36. Ferris three for 19 and five for 26. Ferris accounted for the formidable opening pair of WG Grace and Bob Abel in both the innings. England managed 53 and 62. The lowest scoring Test in Anglo-Australian cricket.
The Turner-Ferris duo was causing nearly as much terror as Jack the Ripper. According to Harry Altham, “If figures go for anything, [the two] were definitely the most successful pair that ever appeared together in any touring side, whether English or Australian, in the whole history of the game.”
When the two returned in 1890, Turner picked up 179 at 14.21. Ferris 186 at 14.28.
From 1886-87 to 1890, Turner and Ferris played 8 Tests, three in Australia five in England. Turner captured 56 wickets at 11.92, Ferris 48 at 14.25.
They became the first terror twins in cricket, improving on the Spofforth-Boyle combination. Turner called the Terror, Ferris the Fiend. Turner almost unplayable on wet tracks. Ferris wily and troublesome even on the good ones. They bowled together not only for Australia and New South Wales.
Turner bowled medium-paced off-breaks, targeting the stumps. Ferris medium paced left-armer of great accuracy, a containment bowler with subtle cut and spin. Each helped the other with footmarks on the desired length on the wet pitches, especially in Sydney.
Years later, when twin sons were born at late age to the great Australian off-spinner Hugh Trumble, they were nicknamed Turner and Ferris.
Early in the 1890 season, during the spate of terrorising, WG approached Ferris. Would he consider joining Gloucestershire? He took up a house near Bristol.
In 1891, he played in the English summer. He was qualifying for Gloucestershire. He spent the time bowling for Gentlemen, destroying the Players twice with 7 for 28.
One cannot expect a Test average of 14.25 to be improved upon. But Ferris did that. When WW Read took an English side to South Africa, Ferris took 6 for 54 and 7 for 37 in the only Test. That gave him 61 Test wickets at 12.70. Playing mostly against odds sides, he picked up 235 wickets on the tour.
Three seasons for Gloucestershire, and then a few outings for New South Wales on return to Australia. He was more than a decent batsman as well, with a first-class hundred for Gloucestershire against Sussex.
That was all he had time for. He joined the many Australian men fighting for the British forces in the Boer War. There, at the age of just 33, he died in Durban. For a long time it was believed he had succumbed to enteric fever. In 2013, Max Bonnell provided evidence that he had been dishonourably discharged and was travelling on the tram when struck down by sudden seizure.
JJ Ferris was born on 21 May 1867.