Ewart Astill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article or section has multiple issues. Please help improve the article or discuss these issues on the talk page.
English Flag
Ewart Astill
England (Eng)
Ewart Astill
Batting style Right-handed batsman (RHB)
Bowling type Right arm off break
Tests First-class
Matches 9 733
Runs scored 190 22,735
Batting average 12.66 22.55
100s/50s 0/0 15/107
Top score 40 164 not out
Balls bowled 2,182 138,532
Wickets 25 2,432
Bowling average 34.66 23.76
5 wickets in innings 0 140
10 wickets in match 0 22
Best bowling 4/58 9/41
Catches/stumpings 7/0 466/0

Test debut: December 24, 1927
Last Test: April 12, 1930
Source: [1]

(William) Ewart Astill (born March 1, 1888, Ratby, Leicestershire, England; died February 10, 1948, Stoneygate, Leicester, England) was, along with George Geary, the mainstay of the Leicestershire team from 1922 to about 1935. He was never a bowler of Geary's class--thus was never picked for a home Test or Ashes tour--but for the best part of three decades he was a vital member of a generally struggling Leicestershire team. With no amateur able to play frequently for the county, Astill became the first officially appointed professional captain of any county for over fifty years in 1935. He led Leicestershire remarkably well, but his appointment was always temporary until an amateur of reasonably regular availability existed.


Contents

[edit] Pre 1914

Astill, a nephew of fast bowler Thomas Jayes, whose early illness and death proved a grievous blow to Leicestershire cricket just before the war, began his career at the age of eighteen in 1906. He played only one match that season, but his medium paced right hand bowling on the treacherous pitches of the following season was so difficult that he took in county cricket 74 wickets for 16.58. The following year, Astill was Leicestershire's chief bowler with 84 wickets. Thirteen for 61 against Derbyshire on a treacherous pitch was an analysis Astill was never to better for a single match in twenty-five years after that. He again did well in 1909, but 1910, when with John King's bowling unavailable for almost the whole season Astill was the only slow wicket bowler available in a wet summer, was very disappointing and the following year Astill was actually dropped as he was quite harmless on the rock-hard wickets of a very dry summer. In the remarkably wet summer of 1912, Astill regained his place but was very expensive considering the many sticky wickets available to bowl on, and on the firmer wickets of 1913 he could not retain his place. In 1914, he played only five matches.

[edit] War Service

During the war, Astill gained a commission in the machine Gun Corps.[1]Late to be demobbed as he was overseas(Snow p.247), he played only three times in 1919.

[edit] Great Years

Starting his career low in the order, after the war Astill emerged as a number four or five. His maiden century in 1921 was against newly promoted Glamorgan at Swansea. He completed the double in each season from 1921 to 26, and again from 1928 to 30. He took over 150 wickets in 1921 and 144 in 1922, and his bowling, even if his action was not as high as in the 1900s, was always steady and occasionally deadly. Only in 1927 did he fail to taken 100 wickets, but that season Astill made his highest first-class score of 164 against Glamorgan. In all he took 100 wickets in nine seasons and passed a thousand runs in eleven.

[edit] Tours and Test Matches

Astill, though never seriously in the running for a tour to Australia, toured the West Indies with private parties during the middle 1920s and played in five Tests on matting in South Africa in 1927/28, and four against the West Indies in 1929/1930 but was not effective. In 1926/27 he was one of the party who toured India, Ceylon(Sri Lanka) and Burma with the MCC, playing 24 matches and taking 71 wickets. From 1933, he declined a good deal as a bowler.

[edit] Later Years

Though Astill retired at the end of 1937, Leicestershire were of short of effective players and he was forced to come out of retirement twice in 1938 and 1939. During World War II Astill joined the Army again but resigned his commission on the grounds of health. Though health declined and he died in Leicester Hospital just three weeks before his sixtieth birthday. He is buried in Welford Road cemetery.

Ewart Astill was also a champion billiards player and according to EE Snow(p.194), was a noted player of trick shots, and was an accomplished singer and accompanist.

[edit] References

Persondata
NAME Astill, Ewart
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Cricketer
DATE OF BIRTH 1 March 1888
PLACE OF BIRTH Ratby, England
DATE OF DEATH 10 February 1948
PLACE OF DEATH Stoneygate, England