George Atkinson (cricketer)
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George Robert Atkinson played in 62 matches of first class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1863 and 1870. A professional right arm medium face round arm bowler, he took 165 wickets at 17.17 with a best of 6 for 18 while, as a right handed late order batsman, he scored 935 runs at 12.63 with a best of 62. He took 32 catches and bowled with an economy rate of 1.96. After the end of his playing career he served as an umpire in first class cricket.
1863 was the first year of first class cricket, and Atkinson appeared for Yorkshire in 1861 and 1862 while Yorkshire were still a 'pre county' club. He also appeared in first class cricket for Yorkshire and Durham (1858), the United England Eleven (1859-1869), North of England (1859-1870), The Players (1863), England (1863), Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire (1864) and the United North of England Eleven (1870-1871).
He played against 22 Gentlemen of Hampshire for the United England Eleven in September of 1860 in a non first class fixture and took 6 wickets for 15 in 32 overs as the 22 Gentlemen were bowled out for just 57 in 97.1 overs. He was run out for 4, batting at number 11, in England's innings but these runs proved vital as they enabled the United XI to take a first innings lead of 2. The 22 Gentlemen were bowled out for 47 in their second innings, with none of the 22 batsman passing double figures and Atkinson taking 8 for 22 in 30 overs in unchanged partnership with John Lilywhite who took 11 for 25. The England XI winning by 7 wickets.
He umpired at least 26 first class fixtures, the first the clash between Gentlemen of the North and Gentlemen of the South in August 1859 and the last the friendly match between Warwickshire and Gloucestershire at Edgebaston in August 1894.
He was born on September 21, 1830 in Ripon, Yorkshire and died on May 3, 1906 in West Bowling, Bradford,aged 75 years.
