Billy Spiller
Encyclopedia
William John "Billy" Spiller (8 July 1886 - 9 June 1970), was a Welsh
rugby union
player and cricketer
. His greatest achievements were in rugby, where he won ten international caps at centre for Wales
between 1910 and 1913, but his short first-class cricket
career was also notable as he was the first man to score a century for Glamorgan
after their elevation to first-class status in the 1921 season
. A right-handed batsman, he also made six appearances in the Minor Counties Championship for Durham
.
Spiller was born in St Fagans, near Cardiff
, and played minor cricket for Glamorgan from 1905 onwards, although as a police officer with the Glamorgan force he was unable to appear regularly for the club after 1908. He did, however, achieve much success in club cricket
in the area, while in rugby he was part of the Wales team that in 1910-11 won the Triple Crown
, a feat they were not to achieve again for almost four decades. He scored a fine try on his Welsh debut against Scotland in 1910. In club rugby he played 184 games for Cardiff
between 1905 and 1914 and also played for Pontypridd
.
Spiller made his first-class cricket debut for Glamorgan in July 1921 against Worcestershire
at Kidderminster
, having gained two months' leave from his police job, and made respectable scores of 40 and 23. Throughout July and August Spiller played regularly for his county, and in late July he became the first Glamorgan batsman to reach three figures in the first-class game when he hit 104 in the second innings against Northamptonshire
, albeit in a match the Welsh county lost by 244 runs.
That was to prove the high point of Spiller's cricketing career, and except for an innings of 58 against Sussex
in August, he never again passed 30 in the first-class game. In 1921, his only significant season in first-class cricket, he finished with 378 runs from 11 matches at an average
of 21. He played a single first-class game in each of the next two seasons, and one further minor game for Durham in 1924
before retiring.
Spiller died in the village of his birth a month short of his 84th birthday.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player and cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
. His greatest achievements were in rugby, where he won ten international caps at centre for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
between 1910 and 1913, but his short first-class cricket
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...
career was also notable as he was the first man to score a century for Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan 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 Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
after their elevation to first-class status in the 1921 season
1921 English cricket season
In the 1921 English cricket season, Australia emphasised a post-war superiority that it owed in particular to the pace duo of Gregory and McDonald...
. A right-handed batsman, he also made six appearances in the Minor Counties Championship for Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham 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 Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
.
Spiller was born in St Fagans, near Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, and played minor cricket for Glamorgan from 1905 onwards, although as a police officer with the Glamorgan force he was unable to appear regularly for the club after 1908. He did, however, achieve much success in club cricket
Club cricket
Club cricket is a mainly amateur, but still formal, form of the sport of cricket, usually involving teams playing in competitions at weekends or in the evening. There is a great deal of variation in game format although the Laws of Cricket are always observed...
in the area, while in rugby he was part of the Wales team that in 1910-11 won the Triple Crown
Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
, a feat they were not to achieve again for almost four decades. He scored a fine try on his Welsh debut against Scotland in 1910. In club rugby he played 184 games for Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
between 1905 and 1914 and also played for Pontypridd
Pontypridd RFC
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions....
.
Spiller made his first-class cricket debut for Glamorgan in July 1921 against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire 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 Worcestershire...
at Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
, having gained two months' leave from his police job, and made respectable scores of 40 and 23. Throughout July and August Spiller played regularly for his county, and in late July he became the first Glamorgan batsman to reach three figures in the first-class game when he hit 104 in the second innings 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...
, albeit in a match the Welsh county lost by 244 runs.
That was to prove the high point of Spiller's cricketing career, and except for an innings of 58 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...
in August, he never again passed 30 in the first-class game. In 1921, his only significant season in first-class cricket, he finished with 378 runs from 11 matches at an average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of 21. He played a single first-class game in each of the next two seasons, and one further minor game for Durham in 1924
1924 English cricket season
Yorkshire secured a hat-trick of titles in the 1924 English cricket season, while England, in its first home series since 1921, proved too strong for South Africa.-Honours:*County Championship - Yorkshire*Minor Counties Championship - Berkshire...
before retiring.
Spiller died in the village of his birth a month short of his 84th birthday.
External links
- Statistical summary from CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...