William Quaife was a solid yet stylish middle-order batsman who served Warwickshire unstintingly for more than three decades ( he joined them after one season at Sussex) scoring 1000 runs in a season no fewer than 25 times. Sadly, he never reproduced this form for England. He was also a more than capable legspinner - although his action was cause for concern - and an outstanding cover fielder. He was also one of the smallest Test cricketers. His exact height was never confirmed - even his son was unsure - but most contemporaries put it between 5" 2' and 5" 5'. In 1928, aged 56, he made 115 in his final innings for Warwickshire - he had registered exactly the same score on his debut for the county 35 years earlier. In retirement he became a cricket bat manufacturer.
Martin Williamson