Bill Ashdown

William Henry Ashdown (27 December 1898 – 15 September 1979) was an English professional cricketer. He is one of a very few men who played first-class cricket before the First World War and after the Second World War.[1]

Bill Ashdown

Ashdown in about 1932
Personal information
Full name	William Henry Ashdown
Born	(1898-12-27)27 December 1898 Bromley, Kent
Died	15 September 1979(1979-09-15) (aged 80) Rugby, Warwickshire
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm medium-fast
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1920–1937	Kent
Umpiring information
Tests umpired	3 (1949–1950)
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 487 Runs scored 22,589 Batting average 30.73 100s/50s 39/105 Top score 332 Balls bowled 44,212 Wickets 602 Bowling average 32.47 5 wickets in innings 13 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 6/23 Catches/stumpings 400/1
Source: CricInfo, 17 April 2009

Ashdown was born in Bromley in Kent. He first played first-class cricket in 1914, playing for Gerry Weigall's XI against Oxford University in The Parks, aged 15.

He played for Kent County Cricket Club after the First World War. He scored 39 centuries, including a highest score of 332 against Essex in 1934. This remains Kent's highest individual score. Ashdown scored a second triple-century for the county in 1935 and is one of only two Kent batsman to have scored a triple-century whilst playing of the county.[2][3] He scored more than 1,000 runs in 11 seasons of county cricket. He was also successful as a bowler, taking 602 wickets at a bowling average of 32.47. He retired in 1937. However, he returned to play a final first-class match in 1947, aged 48, for Maurice Leyland's XI against the Rest of England at Harrogate when he scored 42 and 40 and took five wickets for 73 runs.

He became an umpire after retiring from first-class cricket, and stood in two Tests against New Zealand in 1949 and one against the West Indies in 1950. He stepped down from the umpire's list resume his playing career as captain of Leicestershire 2nd XI until he was 55, doubling up as their coach and scorer. He died in Rugby, Warwickshire, aged 80.

Notes and references

1. Another was D. B. Deodhar, who played in the Bombay Triangular in 1911 and the Ranji Trophy in 1946.
2. Milton H (2016) "Team Records" in Reid J (ed.) 2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual, pp. 199–202, Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club
3. Dickson's 318 tops day of Kent records, CricInfo, 2017-07-04. Retrieved 2017-07-04.

External links

• Media related to Bill Ashdown at Wikimedia Commons
• Bill Ashdown at ESPNcricinfo