STOCKS STACKS UP THE RUNS
Record breaker sets all-time high
Seventy years ago today (15 May 1956), and ten years after his impressive debut, Freddie Stocks added to his already remarkable record by scoring 171 for Nottinghamshire against the visiting Australians at Trent Bridge.
Not only was this a career-best for the pugnacious left-hander, it remains the highest score by any Notts batter in a county match against the Australians. (Given that touring sides no longer play counties, it’s a record that will never be beaten)
Stocks put on century stands with Cyril Poole (58) for the fourth wicket and with Ken Smales (31) for the eighth. He started his innings late on day two of the three-day game, coming in when Notts were 53-2 in response to the Aussies’ 547.
The Australian attack that day included Test bowlers Richie Benaud (4-88) and Alan Davidson under the captaincy of the great all-rounder (and a one-off guest Notts player) Keith Miller.
Good as Stocks's knock was, it wasn’t even the highest of that match – Colin McDonald made 195 for the visitors (Peter Burge also scored a ton, 131) – and just shy of half the all-time total for Notts v Australia, the remarkable 345 made by Charlie McCartney in 1921.
Freddie Stocks was already certain of a place in Nottinghamshire’s history.
Ten years earlier, in 1946, he became the first – and still the only – cricketer to score a hundred on First-Class debut and to take a wicket with the first ball in First-Class cricket!
As it happened, the events took place in two separate matches; on 12 May he made 114 versus Kent, rescuing Notts who were 65-5 when he arrived at the crease, and helping to secure a three-wicket win.
Five weeks later, on 26 June, he had Winston Place of Lancashire caught by Eric Meads to cement his place in the record books.
He was born in Carcroft, Yorkshire, during the First World War, his family having moved from Nottinghamshire due to his father’s war work. His father was on the staff at Trent Bridge before the war and afterwards played briefly for Northants.
Freddie Stocks first appeared for Notts in wartime matches and his cricket in these games meant that he joined the Trent Bridge staff in September 1945, the only player who had not played in 1939 to be signed at that stage.
His debut hundred was recognised by the national selectors, who chose him for a Test Trial the same summer, but Stocks received no further recognition in that direction and remained for the whole of his career essentially a county cricketer – a very cheerful county cricketer.
His batting varied between stout defence and quite determined attacking shots; that 171 against the Australians came in his benefit year and he left Notts at the end of the 1957 season.
His bowling was usually called upon when the main attack failed and, on occasion, he was very successful. Initially he had bowled medium pace but latterly sent down some fair off spin.
Frederick ‘Freddie’ Wilfred Stocks died in Sutton on Sea on 23 February 1996 aged 77, after a long illness.
May 2026