Cuttell was a slow right-arm bowler who possessed the unusual ability to turn the ball from leg without throwing it up enough to encourage risk-taking batsmen to attack him.

However, his form in a couple of matches against opposition that was not recognised as first-class was not encouraging, so that Willis returned to league cricket.

From 1891 he shifted to the Nelson Club (later famous as where Ted McDonald played when qualifying for Lancashire) and proved himself the best bowler in league cricket.

He played only two games and then was dropped, but the following year, after a rather slow start, Cuttell showed himself right up to the standard of first-class county cricket.

His work on soft pitches was deadly enough for him to head the Lancashire averages for all first-class games and was chosen as Cricketer of the Year by Wisden.