Arthur Morton (cricketer, born 1883)
Encyclopedia
Arthur Morton was an English cricket
er who played first class cricket for Derbyshire
and MCC
between 1903 and 1926. He made over 10,000 runs and took nearly 1000 wickets.
Morton was born at Mellor, Derbyshire. He made his debut for Derbyshire in May 1903 against MCC when he was out for a duck in both innings and took the only wicket in the second innings before MCC won. He played six matches in 1903 taking a total of 3 wickets with a top score of 22. However in 1904 he played 17 matches, but only took six wickets and made a top score of 56. In 1905 his bowling picked up and he started to improve his run total, but it was 1907 before he managed his first 5 wicket innings. He managed another 5 wicket innings in 1908 but in 1909 took five 5-wicket innings with a best performance of 6-38. In 1910 against Hampshire
he took 8 for 117 in the first innings and 2 wickets in the second to make it a 10 wicket match. In the whole season he achieved ten 5 wicket innings and three 10 wicket matches. In 1911 he managed his best bowling performance of 9 for 71 against Nottinghamshire
and scored his first century against Hampshire. He took seven 5-wicket innings in 1912 with a best performance of 7 for 16 and five in 1913 with a best performance of 7 for 43. In 1913 he took three 5-wicket innings and made a top performance of 6 for 95. In 1912, 1913 and 1914 he played occasional games for MCC.
First class cricket was suspended during the First World War and resumed in 1919 when Morton was charged with looking after the "bad boy" Billy Bestwick
who had been allowed back into the Derbyshire team. Morton found form again in 1920 scoring a century against Leicestershire
and taking 8 for 37 against Somerset and achieving nine 5 wicket innings in all, but none of this helped Derbyshire win a single match. In 1921 he took 8 for 69 in one of his four 5-wicket innings, but was absent for several weeks as a result of an accident. During a match against Yorkshire in June, the Yorkshire player Abe Waddington
took Morton for a spin on his motorbike but crashed leaving Morton with broken ribs. Gilbert Curgenven
was injured separately and with eight men left, Derbyshire were out for 23. Bestwick, who had just received a collection for taking 10 wickets in an innings, passed some of it on to his colleague Morton.
In 1922 Morton achieved eight 5-wicket innings including 7 for 38 against Northamptonshire
and scored a century against Essex
. In 1923 he took 7 for 48 against Essex in one match and scored a century in the other. He scored another century against Essex in 1924 and achieved 6 for 58 against Gloucestershire
He made his top score of 131 in 1925 against Essex and took 7 for 51 against Lancashire
. He played his last season in 1926 when he had three 5-wicket overs.
Morton was a right-arm off-break, and medium pace bowler and took 981 first class wickets at an average of 22.77 and a best performance of 9 for 71. He took five or more wickets in 63 innings and more than 10 wickets in eleven matches. He was a right-hand batsman and played 623 innings in 357 first class matches with a top score of 131 and an average of 19.32. He made 10957 runs in total including six centuries.
In the following season of 1927 Morton started umpiring first class matches taking around 300 until he retired in 1934 the year before he died. He took one Test match
in 1928.
Morton died at Mellor, Derbyshire, at the age of 52.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played first class cricket for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
and MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
between 1903 and 1926. He made over 10,000 runs and took nearly 1000 wickets.
Morton was born at Mellor, Derbyshire. He made his debut for Derbyshire in May 1903 against MCC when he was out for a duck in both innings and took the only wicket in the second innings before MCC won. He played six matches in 1903 taking a total of 3 wickets with a top score of 22. However in 1904 he played 17 matches, but only took six wickets and made a top score of 56. In 1905 his bowling picked up and he started to improve his run total, but it was 1907 before he managed his first 5 wicket innings. He managed another 5 wicket innings in 1908 but in 1909 took five 5-wicket innings with a best performance of 6-38. In 1910 against Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
he took 8 for 117 in the first innings and 2 wickets in the second to make it a 10 wicket match. In the whole season he achieved ten 5 wicket innings and three 10 wicket matches. In 1911 he managed his best bowling performance of 9 for 71 against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
and scored his first century against Hampshire. He took seven 5-wicket innings in 1912 with a best performance of 7 for 16 and five in 1913 with a best performance of 7 for 43. In 1913 he took three 5-wicket innings and made a top performance of 6 for 95. In 1912, 1913 and 1914 he played occasional games for MCC.
First class cricket was suspended during the First World War and resumed in 1919 when Morton was charged with looking after the "bad boy" Billy Bestwick
Billy Bestwick
William Bestwick was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1898 and 1926. He was a demon medium-fast bowler who took over 1400 wickets for the county, including 10 in one innings...
who had been allowed back into the Derbyshire team. Morton found form again in 1920 scoring a century against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
and taking 8 for 37 against Somerset and achieving nine 5 wicket innings in all, but none of this helped Derbyshire win a single match. In 1921 he took 8 for 69 in one of his four 5-wicket innings, but was absent for several weeks as a result of an accident. During a match against Yorkshire in June, the Yorkshire player Abe Waddington
Abe Waddington
Abraham "Abe" Waddington, sometimes known as Abram Waddington , was a professional cricketer for Yorkshire, who played in two Test matches for England against Australia in 1920–21. Between 1919 and 1927 Waddington made 255 appearances for Yorkshire, and in all first-class cricket played in 266...
took Morton for a spin on his motorbike but crashed leaving Morton with broken ribs. Gilbert Curgenven
Gilbert Curgenven
Gilbert Curgenven was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Derbyshire between 1901 to 1922....
was injured separately and with eight men left, Derbyshire were out for 23. Bestwick, who had just received a collection for taking 10 wickets in an innings, passed some of it on to his colleague Morton.
In 1922 Morton achieved eight 5-wicket innings including 7 for 38 against Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
and scored a century against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
. In 1923 he took 7 for 48 against Essex in one match and scored a century in the other. He scored another century against Essex in 1924 and achieved 6 for 58 against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
He made his top score of 131 in 1925 against Essex and took 7 for 51 against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
. He played his last season in 1926 when he had three 5-wicket overs.
Morton was a right-arm off-break, and medium pace bowler and took 981 first class wickets at an average of 22.77 and a best performance of 9 for 71. He took five or more wickets in 63 innings and more than 10 wickets in eleven matches. He was a right-hand batsman and played 623 innings in 357 first class matches with a top score of 131 and an average of 19.32. He made 10957 runs in total including six centuries.
In the following season of 1927 Morton started umpiring first class matches taking around 300 until he retired in 1934 the year before he died. He took one Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
in 1928.
Morton died at Mellor, Derbyshire, at the age of 52.