Luke Greenwood

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Luke Greenwood was a first class cricketer who played 48 matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1864 to 1874. He had played 2 matches for the club in 1862 and 1863 when they were still a 'pre county' club.

A useful player verging on all rounder status, he also played for Yorkshire with Stockton-on-Tees (1861), the North of England (1863-1864), the United England Eleven (1865), the Players (1865-1866), England (1867), North of the Thames (1868) and the United North of England Eleven (1870-1875), appearing in 69 matches all together.

A right handed lower order batsman, he scored 1244 runs at 11.96 with a best of 83 against Surrey CCC.

A right arm fast roundarm bowler, he took 113 wickets at 18.28 with a best of 8 for 35 against Cambridgeshire. He also took 6 for 43 against Surrey in the championship.

Greenwood turned to umpiring even before his playing career was done. He umpired at least 46 first class matches between 1862 and 1886. With Bob Thoms, he officiated in one Test Match, the famous match at the Oval between England and Australia at the Oval on Aug 28-29, 1882. It was after Australia won this match by seven runs that the Sporting Times wrote an obituary for English Cricket and bails were burned and put in an urn to create 'The Ashes'. He was no stranger to the Australian side, umpiring no less than 32 first class matches involving Australian teams on their tours of 1880, 1882, 1884 and 1886.

His nephew Andrew Greenwood was a stalwart batsman for Yorkshire and played in two Test Matches in 1876/77, while his son in law, William Shotton, appeared in two matches for Yorkshire CCC.

He was born on July 13, 1834 in Cowmes, Huddersfield and died on November 1, 1909 in Morley in Leeds.

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