William Ward (24 July 1787, Islington, London – 30 June 1849, Westminster) was a noted English cricketer. He came from an affluent family which owned property on the Isle of Wight. He was educated at Winchester College, and then received financial training in Antwerp.
William Ward was a prominent right-handed batsman and an occasional slow lob bowler. His first-class career began in the 1810 English cricket season but it was interrupted by the Napoleonic War until 1816. Ward played until 1845.
His score of 278 for the MCC v Norfolk at Lord's in 1820 was the highest individual innings in first-class cricket until W. G. Grace scored first-class cricket's first triple-century in August 1876, more than 27 years after Ward's death.[1] The ball used is thought to be the oldest in existence and is kept in the MCC Museum.[2]
In 1825 Thomas Lord was negotiating the sale of his cricket ground as a building estate when Ward stepped in and saved Lord's for cricket. The price was £5000. He was celebrated in the following anonymous poem.
- And of all who frequent the ground named after Lord,
- On the list first and foremost should stand Mr Ward.
- No man will deny, I am sure, when I say
- That he's without rival first bat of the day,
- And although he has grown a little too stout,
- Even Matthews is bothered at bowling him out.
- He's our life blood and soul in this noblest of games,
- And yet on our praises he's many more claims;
- No pride, although rich, condescending and free,
- And a well informed man and a city M.P.
John Nyren dedicated his famous book The Young Cricketer's Tutor to Ward when it appeared in 1833. He described Ward as "the most worthy man of the day to reflect credit upon my choice as a patron".[3]
More recently, Ward was mentioned in The Duckworth Lewis Method's song, "Gentlemen and Players".
- A bored young William Ward MP.
- Bought Lord's from Thomas Lord
- In eighteen twenty five.
The lyric is slightly inaccurate as Ward did not become MP until 1826.
Ward was a Tory MP for the City of London between 1826 and 1831,[4] and a director of the Bank of England.[2]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Wilson Sir William Curtis, Bt George Bridges Sir Matthew Wood, Bt |
Member of Parliament for the City of London 1826 – 1831 With: William Thompson Robert Waithman Sir Matthew Wood, Bt |
Succeeded by William Venables William Thompson Robert Waithman Sir Matthew Wood, Bt |