absence of support bowlers, Thompson bowled excellently in the following two years and did the "double" of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in 1906 – though on the difficult wickets of 1907 he did not once reach 50, and in 1908 his bowling was very disappointing. Thompson rebounded so well in 1909 that he had his best season on record, taking 163 wickets and playing for England at Edgbaston (where his bowling was not required because George Hirst and Colin Blythe were so deadly). In the following winter his watchful eye on the matting wickets allowed Thompson to play the South African "googly" bowlers with more assurance than anybody except Jack Hobbs and in 1910 he again did the "double". On the rock-hard wickets of 1911, Thompson bowled as well as ever – so well that he headed the first-class averages, whilst his bowling and slip catching was a major factor in Northamptonshire rising to one of the top counties in 1912 and 1913. Whilst he showed some decline as a bowler in 1914, Thompson batted better than ever, and it was a great pity for Northamptonshire that serious injuries prevented him playing at all until 1921, when he had lost his bowling completely but retained some of his batting skill. After a few games in 1922, Thompson's career ended tamely. References External links 1877 births 1943 deaths People educated at Wellingborough School Auckland cricketers England Test cricketers English cricketers Northamptonshire cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Players cricketers North v South cricketers Wisden Cricketers of the Year English Test cricket umpires Lord Hawke's XI cricketers Lord Londesborough's XI cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club South African Touring Team cricketers