William Roe

William Nicholas Roe, known as Bill, was a first class cricketer who was notable for making the then highest ever score in cricket in July 1881 with 415 not out in a long vacation match at Cambridge University. His innings for Emmanuel against Caius lasted five hours in extreme heat and ended only when the Caius team conceded the match after the second day, facing a scoreboard reading 708 for four after they had been dismissed for 100.

Born on March 21, 1861 in Closworth, Somerset, he had been a talented right hand batsman from an early age, scoring 1095 runs at 57 with 4 centuries for the Clergy Orphan School in Canterbury where he also took 292 wickets in three years, with a best of 10 for 16 against Chartham Asylum.

In 83 first class matches for Cambridge University and Somerset County Cricket Club between 1882 and 1889 he scored 2690 runs at an average of 20.22 with a best of 132. He took 32 wickets with off breaks and medium pace at 31.4 with a best of 3 for 17.

He played for Somerset in 1879 before leaving school and in his first innings was bowled "neck and crop" by W.G. Grace. He became captain of Somerset in 1889 and played intermittently until 1899, his highest score being 132 against Hampshire at Bath in 1884. He also made hundreds against Devon, Middlesex, Sussex, and Surrey, all at Taunton.

In retirement he related a story of how, when playing for Cambridge at Old Trafford, the fielders were so cold they could not hold catches. Nash, the Lancashire professional, was missed off every ball of an over from R. C. Ramsay. "C. T. Studd bowled the next ball, and a catch came to me at mid-off, the crowd began to boo, and I felt certain I should not make the catch, but by great good fortune the ball stuck!"

He was a master at Elstree School from 1883 to 1900 and then at Stanmore Park School. He died aged 76 in a nursing home in Marylebone, London on October 11, 1937.

References

* [http://content-www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/19458.html Cricinfo Profile]

* [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/3/3794/3794.html Cricket Archive Statistics]