Description
Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire born Arthur Appleby was a left arm round arm medium pace bowler and left-handed batsman. He began his playing days at Enfield Cricket Club where he was coached by John Berry and W.H. Iddison. He played 58 matches for Lancashire as an amateur between 1866 and 1887 and featured in 81 first class matches in total. He also appeared for Marylebone Cricket Club (1874), the Gentlemen (1867-1887), North of England (1869-1873), Gentlemen of the North (1870-1879), Gentlemen of Marylebone Cricket Club (1873), Gentlemen of England (1874-1878), and R.A. FitzGerald’s XI (1872) and in the Gentlemen to Canada Touring Team (1873), retiring from cricket aged 44.
Bowling was his strongest suit, with 9 for 25 against Sussex being his best innings analysis. He took 336 first class wickets at an impressive 15.67 a piece and averaged a wicket under every 45 balls. He took 5 wickets in an innings on 24 occasions and ten wickets in a match 3 times. He never made a first class century, falling just one run short against Yorkshire in a Roses Match, and made one other half century, averaging 11.45 with the bat. He also held 56 catches in first class cricket.