A fine autographed Sammy Woods cricket bat dating to the 1890s, the bat in used condition by Odd & Son, Croydon, the back of the bat inscribed in ink

A fine autographed Sammy Woods cricket bat dating to the 1890s, the bat in used condition by Odd & Son, Croydon, the back of the bat inscribed in ink with the initials S M J W, the face with approximately 22 ink signatures including the Test players S.M.J. Woods, W.G. Grace, A.E. Stoddart, William Gunn, A.C. McLaren, C.L. Townsend, F.S. Jackson, J.T. Hearne, T.Richardson, Arthur Shrewsbury, J.R. Mason, Schofield Haigh, W.H. Lockwood and Alec Hearne, other signatures including J.A. Dixon, John Tunnicliffe and Charles Kortright ''Sammy'' Woods is one of only five cricketers to have represented Australia and England at Test cricket, making three appearances for each country. In 1889 he was named one of the five inaugural Wisden Cricketers of the Year. Born in Ashfield, Sydney, in 1867, Woods came to England to be educated at Jesus College Cambridge where he won Blues for cricket, rugby and football. He played his entire county cricket career at Somerset and captained the team for 12 years from 1894 and competed in a total of 299 first-class matches, retiring in 1910. As well as being an all-round cricketer who excelled at batting, bowling and in the field, he was also an all-round sportsman and played and captained England at Rugby Union and was a founding member of the Babas. Woods also played soccer and hockey at county level. Provenance: The collection of the late Richard Robinson, Somerset CCC Secretary. Robinson bought the bat at an auction at Barber's in Taunton in the late 1950s.