Frederick Fane

Frederick Fane Biography

Fred Fane was the first Ireland-born to score a Test hundred for England. He also led England, and is remembered most as Jack Hobbs’ first captain and opening partner in Test cricket.

Fane thrived on front-foot strokes, and on wet wickets. His 18,548 runs came at 27, decent (though not exceptional) in the pre-War era, especially for Essex, one of the weakest sides in the Championship at that time. Essex had entered the County Championship in 1894, the season before Fane made his First-Class debut.

He averaged 26 for his 682 runs from 14 Tests. A chunk of this came in consecutive innings of 65 and 106 at Johannesburg in 1905-06, albeit in separate Tests.

His maiden century (207) came in 1899, when he outscored Leicestershire (194) on his own. It was the first double-hundred in Essex’s history. In 1901 he scored 57 against the touring Australians, but his catch at long-stop to dismiss Frank Laver made him famous.

He led England in the 1907-08 Ashes as standby to Arthur Jones. He captained in the first 3 Tests, and led England to a win at Melbourne — where Hobbs made his debut. And in 1909-10 in South Africa he captained again, when ‘Shrimp’ Leveson Gower missed 2 Tests.

Between all that he became the first Essex batsman to carry his bat. He scored 25* as Essex collapsed to 90 against Wilfred Rhodes, George Hirst, and Schofield Haigh’s Yorkshire.

Fane fought in The Great War. He was promoted to Captain, and was awarded with the Military Cross. He returned to First-Class cricket and continued to play till 49.

He retired to a quiet life before, at 79, he came across his own obituary in Wisden. The almanac had confused him with his cousin Frederick L Fane, who shared initials with him.

The real Fred Fane passed away six years later, in 1960.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Frederick Fane Batting & Fielding Averages

Career

Avg

100s

50s

Test

ODIs

T20s

World Cup

Frederick Fane Bowling Averages

Career	M	B	R	W	Avg	EC	SR	5WI	10WM	BBI	BBM
Test	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
ODIs	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
T20s	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
World Cup	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--		--