Percy Fender facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Percy Fender

Fender on a 1922 cigarette card
Personal information
Full name	Percy George Herbert Fender
Born	(1892-08-22)22 August 1892 Balham, London, England
Died	15 June 1985(1985-06-15) (aged 92) Exeter, Devon, England
Nickname	Mossy
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm medium Leg spin
Role	All-rounder
Relations	Percy Herbert (uncle)
International information
National side	England
Test debut (cap 187)	14 January 1921 v Australia
Last Test	15 June 1929 v South Africa
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1910–1913	Sussex
1914–1935	Surrey
1920–1936	MCC
Career statistics
Competition Test First-class Matches 13 557 Runs scored 380 19,034 Batting average 19.00 26.65 100s/50s 0/2 21/103 Top score 60 185 Balls bowled 2,178 95,428 Wickets 29 1,894 Bowling average 40.86 25.05 5 wickets in innings 2 100 10 wickets in match 0 16 Best bowling 5/90 8/24 Catches/stumpings 14/0 602/0
Source: ESPNCricinfo, 27 January 2009

Percy George Herbert Fender (born August 22, 1892 – died June 15, 1985) was an English cricket player. He played 13 Test matches for England. He was also the captain of Surrey from 1921 to 1931.

Percy was an all-rounder in cricket. This means he was good at both batting and bowling. He was a powerful middle-order batsman. He mainly bowled leg spin, a type of bowling where the ball spins sideways. He achieved the "cricketer's double" seven times. This means he scored over 1,000 runs and took over 100 wickets in a single season.

In 1920, he hit the fastest recorded century in first-class cricket. He reached 100 runs in just 35 minutes! This is still a record today. Many people thought he was the best captain in England because of how he led the Surrey team.

In 1914, Fender was named one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year. After serving in the First World War with the Royal Flying Corps, he rejoined the Surrey team. He became captain in 1921. His leadership helped Surrey compete strongly for the County Championship for many years. This was impressive because the team did not have many strong bowlers.

Percy was a good player with both bat and ball. He played for England in Test matches from 1921, but he was not always successful. He was never chosen to be the Test captain. After a disagreement with a powerful cricket official, Lord Harris, in 1924, his England career mostly ended. Later, disagreements with the Surrey committee led to him being replaced as captain in 1932. He stopped playing for Surrey in 1935.

Percy Fender was a well-known and friendly person. He was popular with his team and fans. Cartoonists often drew funny pictures of him because of his unique look. Outside of cricket, he was known for his social life. He also worked in the wine business and was a successful journalist. He wrote several popular books about cricket tours. He kept working until the 1970s, even after losing his eyesight. He passed away in 1985 at 92 years old.

Early Life and School Cricket

Percy Fender was born in Balham, Surrey, in 1892. He was the older son of Percy Robert Fender, who owned a stationery company. His mother's family loved cricket, and they encouraged him to play. From age eight, he watched Sussex matches.

He went to St George's College, Weybridge and then St Paul's School, London. Percy wasn't the best student, but he was very good at many sports.

Cricket at St Paul's School

At St Paul's, Percy started to get noticed for his cricket skills. He earned his school colours in 1908 and played for the school team for three years. In 1909, he had the best batting average for the school. He even scored a century in a match against Bedford School.

His success led to him being picked for a team of Public Schools players. They played against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's. Percy continued to do well in 1910. However, his school career ended suddenly after a disagreement between his father and the school's headmaster. His father was upset that cricket was more important than his studies. Percy left the school right away. He still had the best batting average for 1910. He was not allowed to play at Lord's that summer because he was no longer a schoolboy.

Even with his success, his school cricket coaches didn't always see him as a reliable player. They thought he took too many risks when batting. They also felt he tried too many different bowling styles. But, as his biographer Richard Streeton noted, Percy always had new ideas for his cricket.

County Cricket Before World War I

Playing for Sussex

Percy spent his summers with his grandparents in Brighton. This meant he could play for Sussex. After leaving school in 1910, Sussex became interested in him. He did well in local games and second-team matches. He made his first-class debut on July 21, 1910. He played as an amateur in a match against Nottinghamshire. He played one more game that season. In these two games, he scored 19 runs and took one wicket.

After the 1910 season, Percy worked in a paper mill. This was to learn about his father's business. While working, his left hand got caught in a machine. Three of his fingers were crushed. They remained stiff and numb for the rest of his life.

In 1911, he played for Sussex twice. The next year, in his second match for Sussex, he scored his first first-class century. This was against Oxford University. After this, he took five wickets for 42 runs against Surrey. These successes helped him play regularly for the rest of the 1912 season. He scored 606 runs and took 16 wickets.

In 1913, Percy was a regular player for Sussex. He made a big impact in the first two months. He scored six half-centuries and one century. His fame as an exciting, hard-hitting batsman grew quickly. He was chosen for the special Gentlemen v Players matches at Lord's and The Oval. He didn't do well in these games. This affected his form for the rest of the season. Even so, he scored over 1,000 first-class runs for the first time. He made 1,163 runs and took 34 wickets.

Moving to Surrey

Fender in his early career

Percy Fender initially wanted to be a lawyer. But his family couldn't afford it. By 1914, he worked for his father's paper company. His father thought sports and business didn't mix. Percy disagreed. He felt that playing county cricket helped him meet important people for his business.

He moved to London in late 1913. Because he was born in Surrey, he could play for their county team. Surrey was very keen to have him. Percy managed his business work before and after each day's play. He often combined cricket trips with business meetings. He became well-known in London's social scene. He made friends with actor Jack Hulbert and became interested in musical theatre. He even wrote lyrics for some songs. By the end of 1914, he had convinced his father that he could balance cricket and business. His improved cricket skills were recognized. He was named one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year for 1914.

Percy quickly made an impact at Surrey. He took a hat-trick in his second game. He scored a century in his fifth game. This made him very popular with the Surrey fans. That season, he scored 820 runs, often very quickly. He also took 83 wickets, some by trying out leg spin bowling. Wisden said his value was more than just numbers. He was a "match winning factor." He batted aggressively and bowled more often than he had at Sussex. He also became known as an excellent slip fielder. A teammate said Percy was key to the team's success. The season ended early due to World War I. Surrey was leading the County Championship and was declared champions.

Cricket During Wartime

After cricket was cancelled in 1914, Percy joined the army. He became a lieutenant in the Royal Fusiliers. He didn't like the strict army life. In 1915, he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps with help from cricketer Pelham Warner. This suited his adventurous spirit more.

He was first stationed in London, dealing with Zeppelin attacks. In 1916, he went to India. But soon after arriving, he became very ill. He returned to England to recover. He remained weak for almost two years. Doctors weren't sure what was wrong. He stayed under their care until 1918. He played some charity cricket in 1917 and 1918. He returned to light duties with the Royal Flying Corps in 1918.

Just when he seemed fully recovered, he broke his left leg in five places playing football in late 1918. He was on crutches throughout 1918 and 1919. This meant he missed the return of county cricket in 1919. While injured, he tried to get into Caius College, Cambridge. But he was turned down. They didn't want him because of his injury affecting his cricket. Also, he said he wanted to focus on studies for his business career. The university only wanted him as a cricketer. He recovered in time for the 1920 season. But his leg still bothered him for the rest of his career. He had a slight limp, and long periods of fielding caused him pain.

Captain and Star Cricketer

Becoming Surrey Captain

Fender leads Surrey from the field after an unexpected victory over Yorkshire in 1920.

Surrey's official captain for 1920, Cyril Wilkinson, was often absent. Percy Fender was the only amateur player expected to play regularly. So, he was made captain when Wilkinson was away. Years later, Percy said he felt awkward about it. He knew there were professional players who were more qualified.

He led the team to victory in his first two matches. They won ten of his first twelve games. Wilkinson took over as captain sometimes. But his return at the end of the season led to poor results. He then stepped aside for two important games, letting Percy captain again. That year, Surrey had few good bowlers. Percy was their top wicket-taker with 109 wickets in County Championship games. He took 124 wickets in all first-class matches. This was his first time taking 100 wickets in a season. His batting was inconsistent, but he scored 841 runs.

Percy contributed in almost every match, with bat, ball, or in the field. His captaincy was very effective. His quick thinking and unusual tactics were rare at the time. Fans quickly noticed this and enjoyed Surrey's exciting cricket. Surrey won several games because Percy used surprising methods to speed up play. His batting and bowling also helped Surrey win many matches. Surrey finished third in the County Championship. They lost their final match against Middlesex, which would have made them champions. Percy blamed himself for the loss, saying his instruction to bat quickly had a bad effect. Still, his positive attitude and new ideas were liked by his teammates. He was made permanent captain for the next season.

In one of the last games of the 1920 season, against Northamptonshire, Percy batted when Surrey was in a strong position. He was dropped early but batted very aggressively. He reached 100 runs in just 35 minutes! As of 2021, this is still the fastest century in first-class cricket. He scored 113 not out and had a partnership of 171 runs in 42 minutes. At the time, this century wasn't recognized as a record. Cricket records weren't widely tracked then. Surrey went on to win the match.

Percy was chosen for the Gentlemen v Players match. He scored 50 runs in 40 minutes, the highest for the Gentlemen. This may have helped him get selected for the MCC team to tour Australia. Some newspapers suggested Percy should captain that team. But Reginald Spooner was chosen first. When he couldn't go, J. W. H. T. Douglas became captain. Percy was included in the team.

Playing Test Matches for England

During the MCC tour of Australia, England lost all five Test matches. Percy didn't play much at the start of the tour. The captain, Douglas, rarely used him as a bowler. Percy was left out of the first Test. He was the twelfth man, meaning he was a substitute. He was finally picked for the third Test because Jack Hearne was sick. The tour manager suggested Percy should replace Douglas as captain. Two top professional players supported this idea, but Douglas refused.

Percy made his Test debut on January 14, 1921. He didn't do much with bat or ball. This was partly because he hadn't played many matches recently. He dropped a catch from Charles Kelleway, who then scored 147 runs. Still, Percy kept his place for the rest of the series. In the fourth Test, he took five wickets for 122 runs. In the final game, he took five wickets for 90 runs. He was England's best bowler in the series, taking 12 wickets. He was the only English spin bowler who could make the ball turn on the hard Australian pitches. He wasn't always very accurate. With the bat, he scored 59 in the fourth Test and over 40 in two other innings. In the last game of the tour, he took 12 wickets against South Australia. He handled the hot weather better than his teammates. But his weak leg made fielding painful on the hard ground.

As an amateur, Percy wasn't paid for the tour. But some of his costs were covered by the MCC. To help with expenses, Percy and his teammate Rockley Wilson wrote for newspapers during the tour. Their comments were not popular in Australia. Especially in the final Test, when Wilson criticized the Australian fans. Percy was booed by the crowds when reports of his newspaper columns reached Australia. Sometimes, the crowds chanted "Please Go Home Fender," playing on his initials. Percy made light of it, joining in by conducting the crowd. After this, the MCC stopped cricketers from writing about matches they were playing in. On his way home, Percy wrote a book about the tour called Defending the Ashes. But he didn't share his strong opinions or any controversies.

The Australian team traveled to England to play five more Tests in 1921. Again, some newspapers suggested Percy should captain the England team. But Douglas remained captain. As the series went on, many writers wished Percy had been chosen. Percy started the season poorly and wasn't picked for the first three Tests. Australia won all of them. England tried 30 different players that summer. Many critics felt these players weren't good enough. Percy started taking wickets consistently in the middle of the season. He also scored a century in the Gentlemen v Players match. So, he was chosen for the fourth Test. The game was a draw due to rain. Percy scored 44 not out and took two wickets. The final match was also a rain-affected draw. Percy kept his place but didn't have much success. He later said he learned a lot from Warwick Armstrong's captaincy of the Australians.

Percy had more success for Surrey in 1921. For the second year in a row, Surrey played Middlesex in the final game of the season to decide the County Championship. And again, they lost. They finished second, but they struggled all season because they lacked good bowlers. Wisden praised Percy's smart handling of his limited bowling options. It said much of Surrey's success came from his captaincy. Many of Surrey's wins were very close. They came after Percy made a declaration. This is when a captain ends their team's batting innings early. Percy made the brave choice to include a lob bowler, Trevor Molony, in three games. Lob bowling had almost disappeared from first-class cricket by this time. Molony was the last specialist underarm bowler chosen in county cricket. But Molony had limited success and stopped playing cricket. Because there weren't many other good bowlers, Percy had to bowl often himself. He sometimes gave away many runs. Wisden said he was generally effective with the ball. It called his slip fielding "dazzling." But it suggested his best batting came for teams other than Surrey. In all first-class matches, Percy achieved the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets for the first time. He scored 1,152 runs and took 134 wickets. He also took 53 catches. He was the first cricketer to take over 50 catches while completing the double. As of 2021, only Peter Walker has done this too.

Peak Performance in County Cricket

A cartoon by Tom Webster showing Fender, wearing glasses for the first time, scoring 185 against Hampshire.

In 1922, Percy achieved the double again with 1,169 runs and 157 wickets. Surrey finished third in the Championship. Again, they struggled because they didn't have enough good bowlers. Wisden called the team's success "nothing less than a triumph for Mr Fender." Even with damp weather that didn't suit his style, he bowled more than his share of overs. This was often because there were few other bowlers. Wisden said he was "the best [change bowler] in England." He mainly bowled leg spin, but also successfully bowled at medium pace. Wisden praised his inspiring captaincy. It concluded that he was "by far the best of the county captains." He always stayed in control of the game and managed his team very well.

During the season, Percy started wearing glasses to help with headaches. It worked, even though he later found out his eyesight was fine. The lenses were just plain glass. The first time he wore glasses, he scored 185 runs in 130 minutes against Hampshire. Other fast scores included 91 runs in 50 minutes and 137 runs in 90 minutes. There were no Test matches in 1922. But Sydney Pardon wrote that Percy was the only amateur who was guaranteed a spot in an England team based on skill alone.

Later in the season, Percy had a public disagreement with Lord Harris. This was about whether Alfred Jeacocke could play for Surrey. Harris, a powerful official, noticed that Jeacocke's right to play for Surrey had ended when he moved just across the border to Kent. Percy was very angry with Harris in private. But he publicly defended Jeacocke, and the newspapers supported him. The rules were changed the next season so Jeacocke could keep playing for Surrey.

Percy was chosen for the MCC team to tour South Africa in 1922–23. But even with support from journalists, he wasn't chosen as captain. Frank Mann led the team. His appointment was criticized in the press. They felt he wasn't a good enough player. They also thought the selectors preferred people linked to Lord's. Mann made Percy his vice-captain on the way to South Africa. But Mann played every match on the tour. This meant Percy never got to lead the team.

England won the Test series 2–1. But Percy had some trouble playing on the matting pitches in South Africa. The ball bounced and spun differently there than on the grass pitches in England. He started well with the bat, scoring 96 in the first match. He scored over fifty runs two other times. This included a very defensive innings of 60 in the third Test. But his batting got worse as the tour went on. He was generally good as a bowler. But he gave away many runs in the Tests. His teammates said his best bowling was in the second Test. He took four wickets for 29 runs on the first day. All the South African batsmen struggled against him. He later called it one of his best bowling performances. He played in all five Tests. He scored 128 runs and took 10 wickets. In all first-class games on the tour, he scored 459 runs and took 58 wickets.

In 1923, Percy had his best all-round season. He scored 1,427 runs and took 178 wickets. The runs were his second-best total, and the wickets were his highest ever. There were no Test matches that year. But Percy played in two Test trial games. He did well in the first match, taking six wickets and scoring 49 runs. But the focus was still on who would be captain. Percy was not asked to captain a team in either match. The newspapers wondered why selectors ignored Percy's captaincy skills. They felt he was the most deserving choice. One writer suggested that Lord's "resented" Percy's success. They thought politics stopped him from being captain.

At that time, amateur and professional players used different gates to enter the field. Percy always used the same gate as his professional teammates. This led to a scolding from Lord Harris. Harris said: "We do not want that sort of thing at Lord's, Fender." Surrey finished fourth in the Championship. They were still held back by a lack of good bowlers. Their batsmen often scored many runs. But the team couldn't get the opposing team out, so many games ended in draws. Percy's batting continued to be effective. He showed a more controlled style and improved his defense. Again, he had to bowl a lot because of the lack of support. Wisden said he bowled with "pronounced spin and variety of device."

Later Years in Cricket

Late 1920s Performance

In the years that followed, Surrey slowly dropped down the Championship table. Percy didn't reach 1,000 runs in 1927. But his batting average of 31.96 was his best in five seasons. He also took 89 wickets. That season, he had one of his best bowling performances. He took six wickets in just 11 balls against Middlesex. He was the first player in first-class cricket to take six wickets so quickly. This record stood until 1972. Percy went on to take seven wickets in 19 balls, ending with seven wickets for only 10 runs.

The next two seasons were his best for batting. In 1928, he scored 1,376 runs, his highest average in a season. In 1929, he scored 1,625 runs, his highest total ever. He was less successful with the ball. In 1928, he took 110 wickets, but his bowling average went up. In 1929, he took 88 wickets. His good form in early 1929 led to him being called back to the England team. He played one Test against South Africa. This was his last Test match. In total, in 13 Tests, he scored 380 runs and took 29 wickets. By that season, Surrey had fallen to tenth place in the table.

Involvement with Bradman and Bodyline

During the MCC tour to Australia in 1928–29, the Australian batsman Donald Bradman played his first Test match. Percy was covering the tour as a journalist. He thought Bradman "was one of the most curious mixtures of good and bad batting I have ever seen." He wasn't sure about Bradman's skill at the time.

Bradman came to England with the Australian touring team in 1930. He was incredibly successful. During that season, Percy completely changed his mind. Especially when Bradman scored 252 runs against Surrey. Bradman was very determined to do well against Percy after his earlier criticism. Percy played fewer matches than before because he was writing about the Tests for a newspaper. In 1930, he scored 700 runs and took 65 wickets.

Australia won the Test series thanks to Bradman. He scored 974 runs in seven innings, breaking many records. His success worried the English cricket officials. Percy and others believed that new tactics were needed to beat Bradman. In his newspaper reports that summer, Percy criticized Bradman. He noted that Bradman batted poorly against fast bowler Harold Larwood on a rain-affected pitch. Percy shared this information with his Surrey teammate Douglas Jardine. Jardine later became England captain for the MCC tour of 1932–33. Over the next few months, Australian journalists kept Percy updated on batting changes in Australia. He passed this information to Jardine.

Jardine later came up with the strategy of Bodyline. This was where fast bowlers aimed at the batsmen's leg stump. They often bowled the ball short and tried to hit the batsman. This tactic was very controversial. It caused a lot of bad feelings between the players. Percy didn't cover the tour as a journalist. His newspaper sent Jack Hobbs instead. However, during the tour, Jardine wrote to Percy. He said that much of Percy's information had been correct. He was changing his tactics based on it. Percy later said his role in creating the strategy was small. But he was close to both Jardine and Arthur Carr. They discussed the plans before the tour. Some writers suggested that the original idea was Percy's.

Resignation and Retirement

Fender in September 1940

In early 1931, Percy offered to resign as Surrey's captain. He wanted to give Jardine more leadership experience before he became England captain. But Surrey refused. Percy scored 916 runs and took 84 wickets that season. However, the Surrey committee was becoming unhappy with Percy as captain. He had missed matches in 1930 to work as a journalist. Another issue was that Percy preferred to keep in-form professional players in the team. This was against the committee's wishes, as they wanted amateurs to play when available. There were disagreements about expenses. The committee also disapproved when Percy declared Surrey's innings closed after just one ball. He did this to save time in a rain-affected match. Other controversial events further angered the committee.

As a result, Percy was dismissed in January 1932. This move had been rumored in the press for some time. The club released a statement saying Percy would only step down if a suitable replacement was found. Jardine was officially appointed in March. It's likely that the delay was because Jardine took his time accepting the position. Percy supported Jardine's appointment. He promised to keep playing under his captaincy.

Percy played less often in the following seasons. His appearances were limited by his journalism and business work. He scored over 400 runs each season from 1932 to 1935. He scored two centuries in 1933. With the ball, he took over 60 wickets each season. But his bowling averages were higher than earlier in his career. He had played regularly for the Gentlemen against the Players throughout his career. He made his last appearance in that match in 1934. He continued to be a useful member of the county team. He sometimes led the team when the regular captain was absent.

Before the 1936 season, Errol Holmes, the new captain, suggested Percy play fewer games for Surrey that year. Instead of doing that, Percy decided not to play at all. He told the committee he would no longer represent the county. The committee publicly thanked Percy. But the reasons for his sudden end to county cricket are unclear. Rumors suggested that some people at Surrey wanted Percy out of the club. Percy did play two first-class matches in 1936. He captained MCC teams against Oxford and Cambridge universities. These were his final first-class cricket appearances. In all first-class matches, he scored 19,034 runs and took 1,894 wickets. He continued to play minor cricket for some time. He stayed involved with the sport for many years. His most notable appearance after the war was in 1946. He captained an "Old England XI" against Surrey to celebrate Surrey's 100th anniversary.

During the Second World War, Percy joined the Royal Air Force. He became a Wing Commander. He worked in southern England, moving men and equipment. He was recognized for his role in preparing for the Allied invasion of Europe. Later, he was posted to different parts of the world.

In the 1920s, Percy was asked four times to run for Parliament as a Conservative Party candidate. He declined each time. Between 1952 and 1958, he was a Conservative member of the London County Council. He later became Deputy Lieutenant of London. In the late 1970s, Percy became blind. He moved in with his daughter but continued to run his business. He traveled to Australia in 1977 to attend celebrations for 100 years of Test cricket. He was the oldest person there.

In 1983, Percy's record for the fastest first-class century (35 minutes) was equaled by Steven O'Shaughnessy. Percy sent a congratulatory telegram to O'Shaughnessy. They later met, and Percy joked about keeping O'Shaughnessy's bat as a souvenir.

In his final years, he moved into a nursing home. He passed away there on June 15, 1985.

Cricket Style and Skills

Batting, Bowling, and Fielding

Fender batting at the Oval in 1925

Fender bowling in 1935

As a batsman, Percy Fender was very aggressive. No matter the situation, he hit the ball very hard. He could play many different shots. This made it hard for opposing captains to place fielders. He batted with his weight mostly on his front foot. He used strong wrist movements to send the ball in different directions with the same shot. His favorite shots included the drive, pull, and cut.

Besides his 35-minute century, he played many innings where he scored quickly. Cricket historian Gerald Brodribb calculated that Percy was one of the fastest scorers in first-class cricket. He averaged 62 runs an hour. He also hit some notably powerful shots. One sent the ball 132 yards. Percy's aggressive style meant he didn't always score consistently. But Surrey had a strong batting side. His hitting power was more valuable to the team than if he had played more traditionally. Surrey's strong batting meant Percy rarely had to play defensively. But he could if the situation required it.

Percy was originally a fast-medium bowler. He sometimes went back to this style when Surrey needed more bowlers. But his main bowling style was wrist spin. He could spin the ball very well. His googly was more of a top spinner. He was good at using flight and dip. Many of his wickets came from bowling the batsman out or catching them behind the wicket.

He held the ball differently from most wrist spinners. He used his thumb and first two fingers. He would try any unusual delivery if he thought it would work. To trick the batsman, he changed where he bowled from. He also varied the height of his arm. Sometimes, he would bowl deliberate full tosses or long hops to surprise them. Percy hoped that batsmen, eager to score from an easy-looking ball, would mis-hit it. He often tried this tactic when the batsman was playing defensively. Percy's love for trying new things and his surprising variations made him hard for batsmen to face. But it also led to inconsistent results, and he sometimes gave away many runs. His Wisden obituary suggested he would have been better as a "fourth or fifth bowler in a strong bowling side." But Surrey's weak bowling meant he had to do much more work than was ideal for his style. Despite his experiments, critics saw him as a reliable bowler with his main method. The Times described him as "subtle in flight and with artful variations."

Percy mainly fielded at slip. He had quick reactions and could move fast to catch balls hit far from him. His technique was unusual. He crouched low while waiting for the ball, with one leg stretched behind him. It looked like a sprinter ready to start a race. Good catching was very important for a Surrey team with weak bowling. This made his contributions even more vital. Critics considered him one of the best slip fielders in England.

The journalist and cricket writer John Arlott described Percy: "Unmistakable on the field, lanky, bespectacled, curly-haired, slouching along, hands deep in pockets and wearing a grotesquely long sweater, he was immortalised by cartoonist Tom Webster". This look made him a favorite of cartoonists. Percy enjoyed this fame. Especially the cartoons by Webster, who drew Percy in a long sweater before he ever wore one. Percy then started wearing them to match his image. Similarly, he kept wearing glasses on the field even after finding out he didn't need them.

Captaincy Style

Cricket experts at the time believed Percy was the best captain in England. This was because of how he managed a team with limited bowlers at Surrey in the 1920s. He led the county to high positions in the County Championship. Teammates and opponents praised his captaincy skills. They called him the best captain they had ever known. His Times obituary said: "[Fender] was a sharp captain, quick to observe the slightest opportunity of advantage and ready to gamble on his ability to exploit it." He had a keen eye for weaknesses in opponents. He could also get the best out of his own players. This often led to him being called the best county captain who never captained England. He was always willing to take risks to win. Percy's main goal was to surprise the other team. Many stories grew about his successful plans. Before Percy, few county captains showed much tactical imagination. Percy inspired his teams to play strong, entertaining cricket. This made him and his Surrey team very popular. The press often specifically mentioned his leadership, which was unusual for county cricket reports.

His declarations were often talked about and caused controversy. He often declared, against the usual tactics of the time, before his team had a big lead. Sometimes, even before they reached the other team's first innings total. One of his favorite approaches was for batsmen in the lower middle-order to hit the ball hard, no matter the score. If it worked, the team either quickly made their position stronger or got back control if earlier batsmen had failed. Percy also used non-regular bowlers to try and unsettle batsmen. His new ideas included introducing caps with larger peaks to shade his players' eyes from the sun. He also hired a baseball coach to improve their throwing.

Even though he was often suggested by the press to captain England, Percy was never chosen. Rumors spread at the time about why. One idea was that he was overlooked because he was Jewish. But Percy said he wasn't Jewish and didn't think that would have been a problem anyway. Other suggested reasons included that he hadn't gone to Oxford or Cambridge. Also, that he was in the wine trade, which was seen as unsuitable for a gentleman. But later in life, Percy dismissed these as reasons.

In fact, not everyone approved of Percy's captaincy. He was sometimes accused of unfair play. For example, he would persuade umpires that conditions were unfit for play until they favored his team. He sometimes used negative tactics when he was unhappy with the opposing team. In one game, where the opposition hadn't declared, he slowed down play so much that one over took 12 minutes to bowl. Opponents remembered other uses of time-wasting tactics. They also recalled Surrey players deliberately damaging the pitch to help their bowlers. And intimidating both the opposition and umpires. Cricket writer Martin Williamson suggests that "in an era where gentlemen played by the rules, Fender was adroit at stretching the Laws to snapping point."

Percy's attitude towards amateur players also caused problems. He didn't want to play amateurs in the Surrey team unless they were talented enough. This was opposed by the Surrey committee. The Surrey president, H. D. G. Leveson Gower, wanted Percy to include friends and contacts. Percy didn't think these players deserved a spot on the team. According to E. W. Swanton: "While always highly popular with the teams he led, his relations with the Surrey authorities were also apt to be difficult."

Percy tried to unite the amateur and professional players on the team. He used one gate for everyone to enter the field. He stopped the practice of separate lunches and teas. He planned to end the tradition of separate changing rooms. But professional player Hobbs stopped him. Percy's ideas shocked senior cricket figures. This caused another clash with the powerful Lord Harris. Along with other disagreements between them, this may have ended his England career. The very traditional cricket establishment may also have disliked Percy's unusual style on the cricket pitch. Percy made himself even less acceptable by making fun of important figures like Leveson Gower. A teammate later said that Percy "was often his own worst enemy." Percy also believed that the controversy over his journalism in 1921 counted against him with the MCC committee. According to Wisden, Percy's limited success at Test level "may have saved the selectors, who were thought never to favour him as a captain of England, an embarrassing problem." His Wisden obituary concluded: "He was one of the most colourful figures in the cricket world for many years... and was widely regarded as the shrewdest county captain of his generation."

Cricket Journalism

While still playing cricket, Percy wrote for several London newspapers and magazines. He also broadcast on the radio. Even though he stayed in England, he commented on the 1924–25 Ashes series for the Sunday Express. He got involved in an argument during the tour about whether professional players should be captains. Percy believed professionals would make good captains. He also wrote about the 1926 series. He was criticized by Australians when he questioned their sportsmanship.

He later wrote regularly for the Evening News and The Star. To the annoyance of other journalists, he was the first person to use a typewriter in the press box.

Percy wrote four books about cricket tours. These included his 1920–21 account Defending the Ashes. He also wrote about the 1928–29 tour, which he covered as a journalist. And books about the 1930 and 1934 Australian tours of England. A fifth book, more about his own life, came later. The Times described Percy as "an astute critic of the game." His accounts were "well-observed and analytical." Wisden found his writing outspoken at times. But it rated his four tour books among the best available. In 2012, cricket journalist Steven Lynch wrote that Percy "can probably be credited with revolutionising the [cricket] tour book." Before him, they were often just travel stories. But Percy included serious, in-depth analysis of the play, with lots of statistics.

Personal Life

Percy worked for his father's stationery business before World War I. He spent time in France and Belgium. But after returning from the war, he found the business frustrating. With his father's approval, he left the firm. He started his own wine business with his brother Robert. The business did well, partly because of Percy's many connections. He remained chairman and managing director of the company until 1976. For a while, Percy produced his own whiskey brand. He tried to sell it while touring South Africa in 1922–23. But strong competition meant it was only a short success. After World War II, he had to rebuild his wine firm. It had suffered from wartime trade restrictions. This time, his son helped him. He and Robert also started a paper merchants called Fender Brothers. He later gave up his shares in that company. Meanwhile, he kept his connections with Crescens Robinson. He followed his father as chairman of that company from 1943 to 1968.

The newspapers closely followed Percy's exciting personal life. They reported on his attendance at dances, the theatre, horse races, and shooting. He was very well-known and easily recognized by the public. In September 1924, he married Ruth Clapham. She was a well-known figure in society and the daughter of a Manchester jeweler. He had met her in Monte Carlo in 1923. The couple had two children. Ruth died suddenly in 1937 from Bright's disease. Percy remarried in 1962, but his second wife, Susan Gordon, died in 1968.

Images for kids

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  Fender on holiday with family in 1933 in Kent