Arnold Warren


Arnold Warren was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1897 and 1920 and played for England in 1905. He was the first bowler from Derbyshire to take 100 wickets in a season, a feat he performed three times.

Cricket career

He made his debut for Derbyshire against Lancashire in May 1897. During his time at Derbyshire, he was partnered by Billy Bestwick in a dangerous fast-bowling partnership that never gained much reward because they had very small totals to bowl at. Though rarely judged a better bowler than Bestwick, it was owing to his superiority as a batsman and fieldsman that Warren gained the pair's only England cap against Australia at Headingley in 1905.
He played in the Headingley Ashes Test of 1905. A very tall, right-arm fast bowler who operated off a long, bounding approach, he took 5 for 57 in the first innings of a drawn match. Although he dismissed the cream of Australia's batting, taking the prized wicket of Victor Trumper in both innings, he was not selected again.
In 1910, when playing against Warwickshire at Blackwell Warren scored 123 in less than three hours in a ninth-wicket stand of 283 with John Chapman. This remains a world record in all first-class cricket.

Football career

Warren played as an outside right in the Football League for Derby County and in the Southern League for Brentford in the early 1900s. He also played non-league football for Heanor Town and Ripley Athletic. Warren's Brentford career ended when he was jailed for six months for causing an affray in a local pub.

First World War

Despite being 40 years old and not eligible to serve, Warren lied about his age and enlisted in the Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War. He suffered upper body wounds from a shell blast in France in 1917 and was discharged in February 1919, three months after the armistice. Warren reached the rank of lance bombardier.

Personal life

Warren was born in Codnor, Derbyshire, the son of John Warren, a builder, and his wife Mary. Warren died in his hometown at the age of 76.