Float Woods
Float Woods in 1900
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Joseph 'Float' Woods | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | c. 1872 Barbados |
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| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1901/02–1904/05 | British Guiana | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1893/94–1900/01 | Trinidad | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 14 October 2011
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Joseph 'Float' Woods (born about 1872 in Barbados, death details unknown) was a coloured West Indian cricketer best known as a member of the 1900 West Indian tourists to England. He is reckoned to be the first of the coloured West Indian fast bowlers that became a hallmark of West Indian cricket from the 1960s.
Apologising for the lack of a photograph, Cricket in 1900 says "that Woods is a fine specimen of the darkest of the coloured natives of the West Indies, that is to say, he is very dark indeed. He has a good figure, which denotes strength in every movement. He is very solidly built, and is of medium height. When his face is in repose one can plainly see that his disposition is phlegmatic, but when it lights up it is full of intelligence. He speaks English accurately but slowly, and as may be imagined he does not make long speeches. His bowling is too well known to need description, and all that need be said about it is that when bowling fast he comes across from the leg, while his slow ball comes in from the off. Although – or perhaps because – he takes a very short run, he makes a pretty big hole in the ground". He took up the game about the age of 15 and was largely self-taught.
The origin of his nickname is something of a mystery although it is reported that "His nickname was Float, after a local delicacy, as an Englishman might be called Chips from fish-and-chips".
As a professional Woods was not eligible to play in the Inter-Colonial Tournament so his chances to play in big matches in the West Indies was very limited. He made his debut for Trinidad against Barbados in 1893–94 in an extra match played after the Tournament. The next season, he played for All Trinidad against Slade Lucas's team, the first English tourists, in their only match against the island. In 1896–97 he played in all four matches for Trinidad against the tourists, twice against Lord Hawke's team and then twice against Priestley's side. Despite taking 19 wickets against Lord Hawke's side he did not play for the combined West Indies against Priestley's XI.
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