Sam Staples

SAMUEL JAMES STAPLES was born at Newstead Colliery, September 18, 1893. He played for the colliery as a youngster and, after a trial in Scotland in 1919, was recommended to Notts. He is a useful batsman late in an innings and a good field. As a bowler he has been the hardest worked member of the Notts team for the last three years. In 1926 he took 113 wickets and in 1927, when he sent down more than twice as many overs as any other member of the side with the exception of Barratt he took 123 wickets. Bowling medium-pace Staples has real command of the ball and is an invaluable bowler to keep runs down at one end when batsmen are set and other bowlers must be rested. On a hard wicket he cuts the ball into his fingers and makes it turn a little both ways. Going away a little or coming back a trifle, he can always keep the batsman playing at him on the best of wickets. On a bowler's wicket Staples breaks the ball back sharply from the off and to such an extent that he bowls round the wicket to get the batsman leg-before with the quick turning ball. His bowling in 1927 was so good that he was asked to complete the team sent out by the M. C. C. to South Africa in the autumn of that year. Staples went out with the present England team to Australia--he might have been invaluable as a rest bowler for Tate and Larwood--but unfortunately contracted an illness and had to come home without playing a match.