| Personal information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Allen Hill | |||
| Born | 14 November 1843 Kirkheaton, Yorkshire, England |
|||
| Died | 28 August 1910 (aged 66) Leyland, Lancashire, England |
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| Batting style | Right-handed | |||
| Bowling style | Right arm fast (roundarm) | |||
| International information | ||||
| National side | England | |||
| Test debut (cap 5) | 15 March 1877 v Australia | |||
| Last Test | 4 April 1877 v Australia | |||
| Domestic team information | ||||
| Years | Team | |||
| 1871–1882 | Yorkshire | |||
| Umpiring information | ||||
| Tests umpired | 1 (1890) | |||
| Career statistics | ||||
| Competition | Test | First-class | ||
| Matches | 2 | 193 | ||
| Runs scored | 101 | 2,478 | ||
| Batting average | 50.50 | 8.94 | ||
| 100s/50s | 0/0 | 0/0 | ||
| Top score | 49 | 49 | ||
| Balls bowled | 340 | 30,032 | ||
| Wickets | 7 | 749 | ||
| Bowling average | 18.57 | 14.26 | ||
| 5 wickets in innings | 0 | 57 | ||
| 10 wickets in match | 0 | 10 | ||
| Best bowling | 4/27 | 8/48 | ||
| Catches/stumpings | 1/– | 142/– | ||
| Source: CricketArchive, 26 December 2009 | ||||
Allen Hill (14 November 1843, Kirkheaton, Huddersfield, Yorkshire – 28 August 1910, Leyland, Lancashire) played in the first-ever cricket Test, taking the first wicket. Hill also went on to umpire in the Test match played at Lord's in 1890.
Allen Hill was the son of Francis (Frank) Hill, a Hand Loom Fancy Weaver, and Elizabeth Thornton (married 5 Sept. 1825, Kirkheaton). In 1851 Frank and Betty were living at Shaw Cross, Kirkheaton with 6 children. In 1861 they had moved to Cheesbourgh (sic) Fold with only Allen age 17, described as a Fancy Weaver, then living with them.
Allen married Ellen Jessop in 1868 and in 1871 they were living at Common End, Lepton, Yorkshire. Allen's occupation at this time was described as Fancy Weaver. There was a son Frank born c. 1869 who died in 1876 age 7.
By 1891 Allen had moved to 3 Stanley Street (Goulding Terrace), Leyland, Lancs. In that year's census he was a widower, his wife Ellen having died in 1889, and his occupation was then shown as 'Professional Cricketer'. There were 4 daughters - Alice (19), Kathleen Mary (12), Gertrude (10) and Mabel (7).
In the 1901 census Allen was living at Fox Lane in Leyland with his 2nd wife Margaret (Whittle), daughter of James Whittle, a coachman, & Ann Mills, whom he had married in 1900. She was some 18 years his junior. He would then be 57, shown in the census as 51, but still described as a Professional Cricketer. Daughters Gertrude (21) and Mabel (17) were still at home along with Allen's grandson Frank Hill born 1901.
[[Image:Yorkshire CCC 1875.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The Yorkshire team in 1875 was captained by Joseph Rowbotham. Back row: G. Martin (umpire), John Thewlis. Middle row: George Pinder, George Ulyett, Tom Armitage, Joseph Rowbotham, Allen Hill, Andrew Greenwood. Front row: Tom Emmett, John Hicks, Ephraim Lockwood, Charlie Ullathorne.
He began his career with Lascelles Hall and Kirkheaton clubs and, in 1863, became professional at Dewsbury and Savile, but it was with Burnley when he first played for the county in 1871. He played 139 matches for Yorkshire between 1871 and 1882. His highest score for Yorkshire was 49 versus Middlesex at Bramall Lane, Sheffield in 1876. His best bowling was 7 for 14 against Surrey at Argyle Street, in Hull in 1879. Hill played for the Gentlemen v Players, from 1874 to 1882. He toured with Lillywhite to Australia in 1876-77.
Hill was a bowler with an approximate roundarm action, which Wisden said was "one of the best of its kind that can be recalled".
Hill, who described his profession as being that of a woollen weaver in 1881, had a wife, Ellen, who was three years his junior, and at least three daughters Alice, Kathleen and Gertrude. His playing career ended in 1883, when he broke his collar-bone, but he went on to become an umpire.