Billy Midwinter

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = Australian
country = Australia
country abbrev = Aus
name = Billy Midwinter
picture =
batting style = Right-handed batsman
bowling style = Round-arm Right-arm medium
tests = 12
test runs = 269
test bat avg = 13.45
test 100s/50s = 0/0
test top score = 37
test balls = 183
test wickets = 24
test bowl avg = 25.20
test 5s = 1
test 10s = 0
test best bowling = 5/78
test catches/stumpings = 10/0
FCs = 160
FC runs = 4534
FC bat avg = 19.13
FC 100s/50s = 3/12
FC top score = 137*
FC balls = 23440
FC wickets = 419
FC bowl avg = 17.41
FC 5s = 27
FC 10s = 3
FC best bowling = 7/27
FC catches/stumpings = 122/0
debut date = 15 March
debut year = 1877
last date = 1 March
last year = 1887
source = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/17/17.html CricketArchive

William ("Billy") Evans Midwinter (19 June 1851 in St Briavels, Gloucestershire, England – 3 December 1890 in Melbourne, Australia) was a cricketer who played four Test matches for England, sandwiched in between eight Tests that he played for Australia. Midwinter holds a unique place in cricket history as the only cricketer to have played for Australia and England in Test Matches against each other.Midwinter made his Test debut in the first ever Test match in 1877, playing for Australia, where he had emigrated aged nine, against the country of his birth. Later that year he returned to England, playing for WG Grace's Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. He was included in the Australian team to tour England in 1878, and played some matches for them, before, about to take the field at Lord's he was virtually kidnapped by Grace, who took him to the Oval to play for Gloucestershire in their game against Surrey. He didn't return to the tour, instead remaining (voluntarily) with Gloucestershire until the 1882 season.

He was selected to tour with the England team visiting Australia in 1881/2, playing four Tests, and then in 1882/3 Midwinter emigrated back to Australia, joining Victoria. He was selected for Australia to play the one-off Test after England had won the first Ashes series in 1883/4, and then for the Australian tour of England in 1884. This makes him the only man to play for one international side, then another, and then return to his original international team.

It is probably fair to say his batting did not quite click at Test level however his first class performances for Victoria and Gloucestershire show he was among the best all-rounders in his era.

By 1889, Midwinter's wife and two of his children had died, and his business were failed or failing. He became "hopelessly insane" and was confined to Bendigo Hospital in 1890. He was then transferred to the Kew Asylum, where he died later that year. He was buried in the Melbourne General Cemetery.

References

* [http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/6605.html Cricinfo page on Billy Midwinter]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Articles/0/948.html Brief profile of W.E. Midwinter by Don Ambrose]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/17/First-Class_Matches.html List of first-class matches played by Billy Midwinter]
* [http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/210588.html Midwinter's midsummer madness by Jenny Thompson, an account of Midwinter's kidnapping by WG Grace]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/17/17.html CricketArchive page on Billy Midwinter]

External links

* [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152434.html The Midwinter file] , Graham Parker, Wisden 1971