William Roberts (Lancashire cricketer)

William Braithwaite Roberts (27 September 1914 – 23 August 1951) played first-class cricket for Lancashire as a lower-order batsman and left-arm spin bowler between 1939 and 1949.[1]

William Roberts
Personal information
Full name
William Braithwaite Roberts
Born(1914-09-27)27 September 1914
Kirkham, Lancashire, England
Died23 August 1951(1951-08-23) (aged 36)
Bangor, Caernarvonshire, Wales
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1939 to 1949Lancashire
Career statistics
Competition FC
Matches 119
Runs scored 865
Batting average 10.67
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 51
Balls bowled 27,286
Wickets 392
Bowling average 21.16
5 wickets in innings 25
10 wickets in match 3
Best bowling 8/50
Catches/stumpings 53/0
Source: Cricinfo, 8 August 2018

While serving in the Army during the Second World War Roberts showed good form in the cricket matches he was able to take part in, and he was chosen to play for England in three of the Victory Tests in 1945.[2] He had four successful seasons for Lancashire from 1946 to 1949, taking almost 400 wickets, but the younger left-arm spinners Malcolm Hilton and Bob Berry replaced him in the county team, and he returned to club cricket in 1951. After illness and an operation he died in August that year, aged 36.[2]

He became famous when he dismissed Australian batsman Don Bradman in 1948. He took 6 for 73 off 42 overs in the Australians' first innings, then on the last day he held out against the bowling of Ray Lindwall to give Lancashire a draw.[3] His best first-class figures were 8 for 50 (match figures of 51.5–23–83–11) for Lancashire against Oxford University in 1949.[4]

References

  1. "William Roberts". www.cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  2. "Obituary: W. B. Roberts", The Cricketer, September 1, 1951, p. 438.
  3. Wisden 1949, pp. 249–50.
  4. "Oxford University v Lancashire 1949". Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
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