bowler In response to an advertisement, Rhodes applied to join the groundstaff of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, but the club were unable to offer him an engagement for financial reasons. At this time Yorkshire were looking for a slow left arm spinner to replace Bobby Peel, who had been sacked following a disciplinary lapse on the field in front of his captain Lord Hawke in August 1897. Rhodes successfully applied for a place in a Yorkshire Colts team to play against the County XI. However, as he later admitted, Rhodes had a poor match, while his rival for Peel's place in the side, Albert Cordingley, took nine wickets. In early spring 1898, Rhodes was invited to the nets at Headingley, which led to him playing in some friendly matches (unofficial matches involving first-class teams). Rhodes went on to make his first-class debut for Yorkshire on 12 May 1898 against the MCC, taking six wickets in the match. In his second game, he made his County Championship debut on 16 May 1898 against Somerset, taking 13 wickets for 45 runs. In the 1898 season, according to Wisden Cricketers' Almanack Rhodes "sprang at once into fame, bowling in match after match for Yorkshire with astounding success." By the end of the season he had taken 154 wickets at an average of 14.60, and was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 1899. The citation stated: "There can be no doubt as to the greatness of his achievements last summer ... His qualities as a slow bowler struck everyone as being exceptional"; however, it was noted that bad weather in the first part of the summer created some difficult pitches for batting. As a batsman he scored three fifties, and Wisden rated him "a dangerous run-getter". By the end of the season, according to cricket writer Neville Cardus, Rhodes had proven himself to be the best left-arm spinner in England. In 1899, Rhodes took 179 wickets at an average of 17.10 in a reasonably dry season; this weather meant that pitches were harder, easier to bat on, and less likely to suit his bowling. Wisden described him as "head and shoulders above his colleagues". He made his Test debut in the five-match series against Australia, playing in three of the five Tests; his first Test coincided with W. G. Grace's last. As well as Grace, his teammates included C.