William Hickton (cricketer, born 1842)

William Hickton (December 14, 1842 — March 27, 1900) was an English cricketer. Hickton was a lower-order right-handed batsman and a right-arm round-arm fast bowler, as well as a deft slip fielder. He was born in Hardstoft and died at Lower Broughton.

Hickton first played for the Manchester-based Broughton club in 1867 and began his first-class career for Lancashire in the same year. He continued to play in County matches between Lancashire and the small number of registered county sides at the time, until 1871, when he decided to move to Derbyshire and join the Derbyshire county cricket team.

Hickton's first match for Derbyshire, the first County Match played by the team, in 1871, was against his old team-mates Lancashire, while Hickton made a good account of himself, taking four wickets in the first innings of the match. From 1871 until 1874, all of the matches in which Hickton participated were against his old team-mates, though he took part in further games during the 1875 season, and a first-choice player by 1877, when he played in all matches with the team. He maintained erratic form during the year, just as able to score highly from ninth in the batting lineup as he was to bat poorly and hinder his team's lower order in the process.

Hickton retired from first-class cricket in 1878, though he continued his association with Broughton until 1897. Hickton's benefit season took place in 1883.

A reporter was once noted to have said of Hickton, "There were few better fast bowlers than Hickton, and he always looked a very proud man when he could get through the defence of the Champion and then walk off the field in a stately fashion for a drink."

Hickton's son, also named William Hickton, played first-class cricket for Worcestershire.

External links

* [http://cricketarchive.com/Players/30/30212/30212.html William Hickton] at Cricket Archive
* [http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Articles/1/1457.html Brief profile] at Cricket Archive