Arnold James Fothergill (26 August 1854 – 1 August 1932) was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club and the MCC in a career which spanned from 1870 until 1892. A left-arm fast-medium pace bowler, he appeared for England in two Test matches in 1889. Fothergill began his career as a club professional in the north east of England. He joined Somerset as one of their first professionals in 1880, but was forced to miss most of 1881 while he qualified for the county. He was the most productive bowler for the county in their first two years of first-class cricket, but the emergence of E. W. Bastard, and later Ted Tyler and Sammy Woods, limited his opportunities with the club. He joined the ground staff at Lord's Cricket Ground in 1882, and played for the MCC until 1892, also appearing at Lord's for representative sides. In the English winter of 1888–89, he was chosen to tour South Africa with the MCC, and played in two matches which were later designated as Test matches, though Wisden Cricketers' Almanack described them as being "arguably not even first-class." He took 119 first-class wickets during his career, of which eight came in his two Tests. Early life and career Arnold James Fothergill was born on 26 August 1854 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland. He began his cricket career with Northumberland Cricket Club, a private club which was a precursor to the county team. He appeared as a professional for the side from 1870 until 1879, during which time he was also employed by Benwell High Cross Cricket Club in 1870 and 1871, and Manchester Cricket Club in 1879, before moving to Somerset in 1880. Somerset professional Second-class cricket Somerset County Cricket Club was founded in 1875, and although they initially struggled financially, Fothergill and Alfred Brooks were employed as the club's first professionals in 1880. Fothergill played his first recorded match for the county in July of that year, facing a team of sixteen men from Weston-super-Mare, taking thirteen wickets in the match. Throughout 1880, he was regularly Somerset's leading wicket-taker in their matches; he collected five wickets in an innings against the Marylebone Cricket Club twice, Hertfordshire, and Leicestershire. In 1881, Fothergill was included in the Somerset team to face Kent in Bath. The Kent captain, Richard Thornton objected to Fothergill's presence, correctly pointing out that