Frederick Sewards Trueman OBE (1931 - 2006) is a Yorkshire and English legend. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers who has ever played the game of cricket. Known as Fiery Fred, he was first man to take 300 test wickets, and later became a popular and outspoken radio summariser.

Trueman was born in Stainton near Maltby and was educated at Maltby Grammar School. His capturing six wickets for one run against a top English league side at the age of fifteen attracted the attention of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He made his first class debut for Yorkshire in 1949, and quickly cemented himself at county level. He rose rapidly through the English cricketing ranks, becoming one of the best of his generation's truly fast bowlers.

Not particularly tall for a fast bowler at 5 foot 10, he nevertheless made good use of his wide shoulders and strong legs to produce genuine pace from his classic sideways-on action. Gary Sobers regarded him as one of the finest fast bowlers he ever played against. "Fiery Fred" also taunted batsmen with his Yorkshire humour and the icy glare that went with his aggressive nature. He made a sensational debut in test cricket in 1952, helping to reduce the Indian second innings to four wickets down for no runs, working up tremendous pace to shake up the Indian batsmen.

Trueman was the first man to take 300 Test wickets, and no doubt could have taken many more had it not been for numerous clashes and problems with the Yorkshire and England cricketing hierarchies.

Trueman took 2,302 first class wickets (including four hat-tricks) at an average of 18.27, and 307 Test wickets at an average of 21.54. He also holds the record for most consecutive first-class matches played (67) in which he took a wicket. He reappeared in six one-day matches for Derbyshire in 1972. Trueman also played football with Lincoln City during his spell of national service.

In the 1970's Trueman presented the YTV programme Indoor League, which was broadcast at 5.15pm on a Thursday evening, after the children's programmes which he anchored with a pint of bitter and his pipe to hand, and signed off each week with his catchphrase, "I'll sithee".

He was an expert summariser for the BBC's Test Match Special radio cricket commentaries for many years, and his catch phrase, "I don't know what's going off out there," summed up his dismay that modern cricketers lacked his knowledge of tactics. He was nevertheless respected for his unsurpassed knowledge of the mechanics of fast bowling, and many feel he should have been used as a bowling coach for England's under-achieving sides of the 1980s and 1990s.

He was made an OBE in 1989. He was tragically diagnosed with cancer in May 2006 and died in July 2006.

This site is proud to have Frederick Sewards Trueman as the first name in its Yorkshire Hall of Fame.