Bill Hyman
Encyclopedia
William Hyman known as "Bill" or "Billy", played first-class
cricket
for Somerset
from 1900 to 1914. He was born at Radstock
, Somerset
and died at Mount Charles, St Austell
, Cornwall
.
Hyman made his debut for Somerset in the same 1900 match against Yorkshire
at Dewsbury
that saw the debut of Albert Bailey
, but after that every other match of the small number that he played for the county up to August 1912 was held at Bath, where he also played his club cricket. In none of these first-class matches did Hyman make much impact: until 1912, his highest score was less than 20.
His renown rested much more firmly on his club cricket career and on one particular match between Bath
and Thornbury Cricket Club at the Thornbury
ground in 1902. In that match, Hyman made an unbeaten 359 out of a Bath total of 466 for six wickets, with 32 sixes off the lob
bowling of E. M. Grace, the elder brother of W. G. Grace
and himself a Test
player (though by now 60 years of age). He hit 62 runs from two consecutive overs of bowling from Grace. Other Thornbury bowlers that day included Gloucestershire
first-class players Edward Spry and Arthur Paish. "Some say that it took him 110 minutes, others that it was a good deal less," says the account in Somerset's history.
Hyman was not able to reproduce this form in first-class cricket but from August 1912 and through the next two first-class seasons, he played pretty regularly as a professional batsman for Somerset, though the move had limited success. In 1913, he played an innings of 110 in the match against Sussex
at Bath, and shared in a second-wicket partnership of 159 with Peter Randall Johnson
. But this was his only score above 50 in the season and his batting average was just 17.
The following season, 1914, was no more successful and Hyman had only one good match, a game against Hampshire
in August 1914 in which he scored 60 and 34, the first of these innings being his only score of 50 or more in the season. When cricket was suspended for the First World War at the end of the 1914 season, Hyman's cricket career came to an end.
team, as well as playing for Bath City F.C.
and the Somerset county soccer side.
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricket
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...
for Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset 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 Somerset...
from 1900 to 1914. He was born at Radstock
Radstock
Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and died at Mount Charles, St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
Cricket career
Hyman was a right-handed middle order batsman who was renowned in club cricket as a hitter. He played for the first few years of his first-class cricket career as an occasional amateur player, but in the final years, from 1912 to 1914, he turned professional and played for Somerset much more frequently.Hyman made his debut for Somerset in the same 1900 match against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
at Dewsbury
Dewsbury and Savile Ground
The Dewsbury and Savile Ground was a cricket ground located in Savile Town, Dewsbury, England. It hosted 53 first class matches between 1867 and 1933. The first fixture saw Yorkshire play Cambridgeshire while Essex were the visitors in the final game held there...
that saw the debut of Albert Bailey
Albert Bailey (cricketer)
Albert E Bailey played first-class cricket for Somerset from 1900 to 1911 as a lower-order right-handed batsman and a slow left-arm spin bowler...
, but after that every other match of the small number that he played for the county up to August 1912 was held at Bath, where he also played his club cricket. In none of these first-class matches did Hyman make much impact: until 1912, his highest score was less than 20.
His renown rested much more firmly on his club cricket career and on one particular match between Bath
Bath Cricket Club
Bath Cricket Club is an English amateur cricket club based in the city of Bath, Somerset. The club was founded in 1859 and competes in the West of England Premier League, which is an accredited ECB Premier League, the highest level for recreational club cricket in England and Wales.Home matches...
and Thornbury Cricket Club at the Thornbury
Thornbury, South Gloucestershire
Thornbury is a market town in South Gloucestershire, England, approximately 12 miles north of the city of Bristol, with a population of 12,342 at the 2001 UK census. The town hosts South Gloucestershire Council headquarters and is twinned with Bockenem in Germany. Thornbury is a Britain in Bloom...
ground in 1902. In that match, Hyman made an unbeaten 359 out of a Bath total of 466 for six wickets, with 32 sixes off the lob
Lob bowling
In cricket, Lob bowling is a largely disused style of bowling. It became illegal under Law 24.1 to use underarm bowling without prior agreement before the match....
bowling of E. M. Grace, the elder brother of W. G. Grace
W. G. Grace
William Gilbert Grace, MRCS, LRCP was an English amateur cricketer who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, having a special significance in terms of his importance to the development of the sport...
and himself a Test
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...
player (though by now 60 years of age). He hit 62 runs from two consecutive overs of bowling from Grace. Other Thornbury bowlers that day included 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....
first-class players Edward Spry and Arthur Paish. "Some say that it took him 110 minutes, others that it was a good deal less," says the account in Somerset's history.
Hyman was not able to reproduce this form in first-class cricket but from August 1912 and through the next two first-class seasons, he played pretty regularly as a professional batsman for Somerset, though the move had limited success. In 1913, he played an innings of 110 in the match against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
at Bath, and shared in a second-wicket partnership of 159 with Peter Randall Johnson
Peter Randall Johnson
Peter Randall Johnson, born at Wellington, New Zealand on 5 August 1880 and died at Sidmouth, Devon on 1 July 1959, was a cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Somerset and several amateur sides in a long first-class cricket career that stretched from 1900 to 1927. During his career, he...
. But this was his only score above 50 in the season and his batting average was just 17.
The following season, 1914, was no more successful and Hyman had only one good match, a game 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...
in August 1914 in which he scored 60 and 34, the first of these innings being his only score of 50 or more in the season. When cricket was suspended for the First World War at the end of the 1914 season, Hyman's cricket career came to an end.
Outside cricket
Hyman was also a football player and appeared alongside three of his brothers for the local Radstock Town F.C.Radstock Town F.C.
Radstock Town Football Club play in Radstock, Somerset in the Premier Division of the Western Football League. The club is affiliated to the Somerset County FA.-Club history:...
team, as well as playing for Bath City F.C.
Bath City F.C.
Bath City Football Club are a semi-professional football club based in Bath, Somerset. They play in the Conference National league after gaining promotion from the Conference South via the play-offs in May 2010...
and the Somerset county soccer side.