On the 8 July 1973, professional cricketer, Wilfred Rhodes (1877-1973)  , died in Poole, Dorset, aged 95.

Rhodes played 58 Test matches for England between 1899 and 1930, taking 127 wickets and scoring 2,325 runs. He became the first Englishman to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test matches, and holds the world record for the most appearances made in first-class cricket, 1,110 matches, and also for the most wickets taken, 4,204. He completed the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a season a record 16 times.

Rhodes played for Yorkshire and England into his fifties, and in his final Test in 1930, at 52 years and 165 days, was the oldest player to have appeared in a Test match.

Born in Kirkheaton, Yorkshire in 1877, he began his career for Yorkshire in 1898 as a slow left-arm bowler, and quickly established a reputation as one of the best slow bowlers in the world. By the time of the First World War he had developed his batting skills and was regarded as one of the leading batsmen in England, establishing an effective opening partnership with Jack Hobbs. 

His first appearance for England was in 1899 and he played regularly in Tests until 1921, and was recalled to the team in the final Ashes Test of 1926 aged 48, when England regained the Ashes for the first time since 1912.

Following his retirement from playing cricket, he coached for a short while at Harrow School, but was not a great success.

His eyesight began to fail around 1939, and he was completely blind by 1952.

He was given honorary membership of the  MCC in 1949 and remained a respected figure within the game until his death.

Rhodes was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009

8 July, 2019