Elisha Rawlinson

Elisha Barker Rawlinson was a first class cricketer who played 1 first class matches for Lancashire CCC in 1867, 37 for Yorkshire CCC between 1867 and 1875, 6 for the United North of England Eleven from 1870 to 1874 and 1 for the North of England in 1875. He played non first class cricket for Durham in 1884 and 1885. A right handed batsman, standing nearly five foot nine inches, he scored 1120 runs at 15.34 with a best of 55 for Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire CCC. He took 8 wickets at just 9.87, bowling right arm round arm fast, with a best analysis of 4 for 41 for Yorkshire against Gloucestershire CCC. He took 23 catches, mainly at cover point.

He was born on April 10, 1837 in Yeadon, near Leeds, Yorkshire, and played his early cricket for the "Coffee Pot" and "Berry Pot" Clubs in that town. He was known for playing single wicket matches for small stakes and assisted many clubs in the Yeadon area. His brother, Tom Rawlinson, was a professional league cricketer who played at Lord's for The Colts (Professionals Who Have Never Appeared at Lord's or The Oval) versus the M.C.C.

"E.B." went to Oxford to visit his brother in 1863 and was engaged at Magdalen College, returning to finish the season at Pontefract, where playing for the Tailors and Drapers of that town against the Printers he scored 130 out of his side's total of 138. During 1864 and 1865 he was engaged at Christ College, Oxford in the early part of the season, going on to Folkestone for the latter part. At Folkestone he scored 56 and 12 against the visiting American Eleven and also visited Paris with the 85th Regiment to play the English residents in the Bois de Boulogne. In 1866 and 1867 he was engaged at Burnley, where he took all ten wickets in an innings twice, once in the match in which A.N.Hornby carried his bat for 9 in a total of 28. While at Burnley, on 20th to 22nd June he played for Lancashire against Yorkshire in the first Roses Match at Whalley. Roger Iddison on learning that he was a Yorkshireman promised to get him a game for his native county and true to his word, just one week later he played for Yorkshire against Lancashire at Old Trafford, scoring 20 and 3 not out and taking one wicket for nine runs.

In 1868 he was at Keighley, moving on the following year to the Savile Club, Dewsbury, after a few weeks at Christchurch, Oxford. In 1870 he took the White Swan Hotel, at Yeadon and played his cricket with the Leeds Clarence Club until 1875, when as a farewell, on the 6th September, Leeds Clarence played the Gentlemen of Yorkshire for his benefit. He was given a "Handsome Portrait" of himself when he left Yeadon by the townsfolk.

A keen huntsman, he followed Lord Middleton's hounds, "and if he has a good horse, and can keep on enjoying himself." It is related that one day the pack killed five foxes and he fell off five times. "The affair was not monotonous, however, as he fell off twice on each side, and once he was pitched over the horses head."

From 1874 he had also been helping out the Malton Club and in 1876 he became landlord of the Sun Hotel there. The 1881 Census shows him at the Sun Inn, Wheelgate, New Malton, aged 43, an innkeeper, with his wife Louisa S. aged 37, and three daughters Florence L. aged 15, Blanche F. aged 14 and Maude E aged 11. There were a cook, a housemaid and an ostler.

He was presented with an illuminated address by the members of the Malton Club before he emigrated to Australia in 1883. He became the landlord of the Glasgow Arms Inn, George Street, Sydney, but had left this by 1892, when he died of jaundice, at the home of his brother-in-law.

References

* [http://content-www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/19600.html Cricinfo Profile]

* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32268/32268.html Cricket Archive Statistics]