Samuel Woods

SAMUEL MOSES JAMES WOODS was born at Glenfield, near Sydney, New South Wales, on April 14, 1868. He played cricket as a schoolboy in Sydney, where, for Royston College in 1883, he took seventy wickets at an average of 5 runs each. He came to Brighton College in 1885, and was immediately successful, not only as a bowler, but as a batsman. Indeed, he and G. L. Wilson were among the best public-school cricketers of that year, and in the following season he took seventy-eight wickets for Brighton College for less than 7½ runs each. Woods played his first big match against the Melbourne Club Australian team, at Portsmouth, being selected as a member of Mr. G. N. Wyatt's eleven. He played regularly for Somersetshire in 1887, having made his first appearance for the county two years previously. Woods went to Cambridge in 1888, and was very conspicuous in the early matches, being certain of his blue before he had been in residence many weeks. His doings for the Australians, for Cambridge, and his county are described elsewhere, but we should say that he bowls very fast right-hand, now and then sending in a good yorker. He is a brilliant field at cover point or extra mid-off, a sure catch, and a good punishing batsman with plenty of confidence. In addition to his cricket Woods plays both Rugby and Association football, having represented Sussex in the latter game, and Somersetshire under the older rules.