Billy Murdoch
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | William Lloyd Murdoch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Sandhurst, Victoria, Australia | 18 October 1854|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died |
18 February 1911 56) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | (aged|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting style | Right-hand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Batsman & occasional wicket-keeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side |
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Test debut (cap 13/79) |
31 March 1877 Australia v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Test |
22 March 1892 England v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1875–1890 | New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1893–1899 | Sussex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1900–1904 | London County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 2 December 2008 |
William (Billy) Lloyd Murdoch (18 October 1854 – 18 February 1911) was an Australian cricketer, who captained the Australian team on tours to England in 1880, 1882 (when the Ashes legend was born), 1884 and 1890. Murdoch was born in Sandhurst (now Bendigo), Victoria, to Gilbert Murdoch and his wife Susanna née Fleigge.[2] He is the first cricketer to score a double century in Test Cricket.
Life and career
Early in the 1860s, the Murdochs moved to New South Wales, and Billy played for the Albert Club with Fred Spofforth. He made his first-class entry in 1875, at the time regarded as the finest wicketkeeper in Australia, and a highly rated right-handed batsman. He played in the second Test match ever played, the 1877 clash against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Later that year, he qualified as a solicitor and opened up a practice, "Murdoch & Murdoch", with his brother Gilbert.
Murdoch established himself as one of the era's greatest batsmen over the next few years,[3] leading Australia in several Test series against England. In 1881–82 he became the first man other than W. G. Grace to score a first-class triple century when, as captain, he made 321 for New South Wales against Victoria at the SCG.[4] The innings comprised 38 fours, nine threes, 41 twos and 60 singles from all of ten Victorian bowlers. It was this knock which established him in the public reckoning as Australia's finest batsman. So unvanquishable was he that Tom Horan (with whom Murdoch would share many a fine batting stand in the years to come) was reduced to bowling Leg theory, the first known instance of that controversial tactic.
Murdoch was never far from controversy. His omission as wicketkeeper in the very first Test resulted in Australia's premier fast bowler, Fred Spofforth, boycotting the match. In 1884 as captain of Australia he was involved in the players' strike, where the Australian players refused to play unless they received a greater share of the gate takings. He was also the batsman whose contentious run out caused friction between New South Wales and a visiting English team led by Lord Harris, which also caused a spectator riot.
His best Test performances more often occurred in England where both his Test hundreds were scored, 153 not out in the first Test in the old country in 1880 at The Oval, and 211 at the same ground four years later. The former score was the first instance of a captain scoring a Test century, whilst the latter score was the first double-century made in Test cricket.[3]
In 1878, Murdoch toured England and North America with Australia's first representative cricket team, participating in a famous victory over an MCC side. On the 1880 and 1884 tours of England he led the Australian batting averages. In England, he was regarded as a superb captain and enough of a gentleman to be invited to captain Sussex, which he did for several seasons. He was widely regarded the finest Australian batsman of his day, being bettered only by the English champion, W. G. Grace.
Murdoch was more of an off-side player whose drives and cut strokes were regarded as among the best of his day; but his leg-side play was reputedly not so strong, and his ability against good spin bowling was not as impressive as it might be. Also, he was believed to be lacking in command against top-class pace bowling on difficult wickets; if conditions, were perfect, however, his batting often followed suit.
He again visited England in 1890, and although he topped that season's averages, he did not have an opportunity to regain his best form. He then settled in England, qualified for Sussex, and captained the county for several seasons. Along with former Australian Test teammate John Ferris, he represented his adoptive land against South Africa in Cape Town in March 1892.[3]
His style of play did not favour him in wet seasons, but he made many good scores over a period of about 15 years. Among these may be mentioned 155 for London County against Lancashire in 1903, and in the following year 140 for Gentlemen v Players, though he was then in his forty-ninth year.
Murdoch's standing as one of the greatest first-class batsmen of his era were strengthened by his statistics; 16,953 runs scored in 391 matches at the average of 26.86 at a time when batting averages were much lower than in modern times.
Murdoch died in Melbourne, Australia in 18 February 1911; present at the Test match between Australia and South Africa, he was seized with apoplexy during the lunch interval and died later in the afternoon. His body was embalmed and brought back to England for burial at Kensal Green Cemetery in London.
Murdoch's best Test batting score of 211 was made for Australia against England, The Oval, 1884. It was the first double hundred in Test cricket.[3] His Test captaincy record for Australia was: 16 matches, five wins, seven losses, four draws.
He also became the first substitute to take a catch in only the fifteenth Test match ever played – a feat he managed for the opposition.[3][5]
See also
- List of cricketers who have played for more than one international team
Notes
- ↑ Murdoch played in one Test for England, scoring 12 runs in his only innings, and effecting one stumping.
- ↑ Christopher Morris, 'Murdoch, William Lloyd (Billy) (1854–1911)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol. 5, MUP, 1974, pp 314–315. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Frindall, Bill (2009). Ask Bearders. BBC Books. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-84607-880-4.
- ↑ "Individual Scores of 300 and More in an Innings in First-Class Cricket in Chronological Order". CricketArchive. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
- ↑ "Scorecard Test No. 15". Cricinfo.com.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Billy Murdoch. |
References
- Cricinfo Player Profile : Billy Murdoch
- HowSTAT! statistical profile of Billy Murdoch
- CricketArchive page on Billy Murdoch
- Serle, Percival (1949). "Murdoch, William Lloyd". Dictionary of Australian Biography. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.
Sporting positions | ||
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Preceded by Dave Gregory |
Australian Test cricket captains 1880 – 1884/5 |
Succeeded by Tom Horan |
Preceded by Percy McDonnell |
Australian Test cricket captains 1890 |
Succeeded by Jack Blackham |
Preceded by Jack Blackham |
Australian Test wicket-keepers 1877–1890 |
Succeeded by Affie Jarvis |
Preceded by Billy Newham |
Sussex county cricket captain 1893–1899 |
Succeeded by Ranjitsinhji |
Records | ||
Preceded by Charles Bannerman |
World Record – Highest individual score in Test cricket 211 vs England at The Oval 1884 |
Succeeded by Tip Foster |
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