William Beldham

William Beldham (born 5 February 1766 in Wrecclesham, just outside Farnham in Surrey; died 20 February 1862 at Tilford, Surrey) was one of the greatest first-class cricketers in England during a career that spanned the 1785 to 1821 seasons.

Reputation

Though remembered primarily as a fine attacking batsman, Beldham was in fact an all-rounder who also took many wickets by operating as a change bowler. He is also credited with many stumpings, although whether he was ever a regular wicket-keeper remains unclear.

Along with other greats such as John Small and Tom Walker, Beldham did much to lay the foundations of what can now be recognised as modern batting technique. He had a sound defence, like Small and Walker, but was also a marvellous strokemaker like Small and the later Fuller Pilch.

In his "The Cricketers of My Time", author John Nyren eulogised Beldham's batting prowess: "... (he was) safer than the Bank"; "... he would get at the balls and hit them away in gallant style. But when he could cut them at the point of his bat, he was in all his glory; and, upon my life, their speed was as the speed of thought"; "... one of the most beautiful sights that can be imagined, and which would have delighted an artist, was to see him make himself up to hit a ball. It was the beauideal ("sic") of grace, animation, and concentrated energy". Ashley Mote, "John Nyren's "The Cricketers of my Time", Robson, 1998]

Other writers praised Beldham's composure, "eagle eye", strong wrists and fine timing Fact|date=May 2008.

Unlike his contemporary Lord Frederick Beauclerk, Beldham was noted for his integrity and fair play. It was said of him that the only blot on his playing career was that he once biased a ball he bowled against Beauclerk, during a single wicket match at Lords in June 1806, with a lump of mud and sawdust. It had the desired effect Fact|date=May 2008.

Career

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Known as "Silver Billy" from his light hair and complexion, Beldham's immensely long first class career yielded a then unparalleled 7,064 runs at an average of 21.40 with 3 centuries (or by another definition of first-class, 7117 runs at an average of 21.18: the exact definition of 'first class' at this period of cricketing history is open to debate (1801 as its start point is purely arbitrary, as is exemplified by the fact that a Surrey v England match in 1801 is deemed 'first class' while the identical fixture a year previously is not, despite 11 players being common to both games ! A more reasonable date for the commencement of first class cricket in England is 1772, as from this year scorecards were habitually kept), and to further muddy the waters, there also exist incomplete records - for example, between 1804 and 1808. Beldham was known to have played at least six games for Homerton, who were then regarded as second only to the MCC in stature).

Taking to the game at an early age (in 1782, aged 16, he played for Farnham in their first ever game, against Odiham on August 13th, scoring 16 in the 2nd innings), his first "important" game came at the age of 19 in June 1785 for Berkshire against Essex. He also began playing regularly for the celebrated Hambledon Club around this time: all the scorebooks prior to the 1786 season were lost in a fire at Lords on July 28th 1825 which destroyed the pavilion, but to judge from his own comments when interviewed in 1837 by James Pycroft, he started playing for the club in either 1784 or 1785: according to Ashley Mote in "The Glory Days of Cricket" he first played for them in 1780, aged 14, but this is almost certainly incorrect (as is Mote's claim that Beldham played on Broadhalfpenny Down: Hambledon moved from there to Windmill Down in 1782, when he was but 16. However it is highly likely that he played "against" Hambledon on Windmill Down, for Farnham in September 1785: the score is lost but Farnham apparently won).

By the age of 21 he was widely recognised as the best batsman in England. In the last dozen years of the 18th century he averaged about 25 runs per completed innings, an astonishing feat at the time (this achievement can be measured by the fact that 110 was regarded for betting purposes as the "norm" for a whole team). Possibly his best performance was playing for Surrey against England at Lords in 1794 when he scored 72 and 104, took two wickets and held three catches. Although past his peak from about 1800, Beldham continued to play at first-class level for many years, occasionally displaying a glimpse of past brilliance. His final game was one of the early Gentlemen v Players matches in July 1821, when he was aged 55. His final first-class score was 23 not out (were he not injured and able to "run his notches", this would have doubtless been higher). There is strong circumstantial evidence suggesting that he continued to play long after this: a passage in James Pycroft's "Oxford Memories" states that 'Beldham's was a green old age even when between sixty and seventy he was barred in county matches'. Possibly this was to protect an old man, but it's instructive that he was banned only from "county" matches and not cricket entirely: it's tempting to assume that the ban was to save younger players from embarrassment at his hands (or rather, bat).

Personal life

Beldham retired to Tilford, where he owned a public house, "The Barley Mow", and spent his last 41 years there. In his old age, he was interviewed by James Pycroft, author of "The Cricket Field". One of the common misconceptions concerning Beldham is that he fathered anything up to thirty six children by two wives. While he did marry twice, he was far less prolific: by his first wife Ann Smith (1765-1800) he had one daughter, also Ann, born (and died) 1800. His second wife, another Ann (1779-1869), bore him eight children between 1804 and 1819 and eventually outlived him by some seven years. Both are buried in the local churchyard. Beldham's cottage still sits by the side of the pub, albeit with the later addition of an upper floor.

Beldham's sister Hannah (1786-1842) married another leading cricketer of the day, John Wells. It is said that Wells impressed upon Beldham the importance of the high left elbow, although a Farnham gingerbread maker, Harry Hall, has also been credited with this Fact|date=May 2008. This was a novelty at the time but has since become a standard part of technique for a right-handed batsman. As late as the 1860s, a wall of The Cricketers pub in Wrecclesham bore the legend "Rendevous of those Famous Cricketers Beldham & Wells".

References

External sources

* [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/10/10651/10651.html Cricketarchive profile]
* [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/9345.html Cricinfo profile]

Further reading

* H S Altham, "A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914)", George Allen & Unwin, 1926
* Derek Birley, "A Social History of English Cricket", Aurum, 1999
* Rowland Bowen, "Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development", Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970
* Arthur Haygarth, "Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826)", Lillywhite, 1862
* John Major, "More Than A Game", HarperCollins, 2007
* Ashley Mote, "The Glory Days of Cricket", Robson, 1997
* Ashley Mote, "John Nyren's "The Cricketers of my Time", Robson, 1998
* David Underdown, "Start of Play", Allen Lane, 2000
* James Pycroft, "The Cricket Field", Longman, 1854
* Albert E Knight, "The Complete Cricketer", Methuen & Co., 1906
* Simon Wilde, "Number One: The World's Best Batsmen and Bowlers", Trafalgar Square, 1998