William Harrington (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
William "Bill" Harrington (27 December 1869 in County Dublin
, Ireland
– 2 January 1940 in County Dublin
) was an Irish cricketer
. A right-handed batsman and off spin
bowler, he played 28 times for the Ireland cricket team between 1894 and 1921, including fifteen first-class
matches.
in July 1894, and soon became a regular member of the team. He played seven further times for Ireland until 1901, playing against I Zingari, the MCC
, Surrey
and South Africa, amongst others.
In 1902, he made his first-class debut for Ireland, playing against London County
in May. He played three further first-class matches that month, against the MCC, Oxford University
and Cambridge University
. He took 11 wickets in the match against Cambridge University, the only time he took more than ten wickets in a match for Ireland. His figures of 7/76 in the first innings were his best innings bowling figures for Ireland.
His career continued over the next ten years, playing against Scotland, South Africa, Cambridge University and Yorkshire
, amongst others. He went with Ireland on a tour to the USA in 1909. The tour started well for Ireland with a five wicket win against New York on Staten Island
but disaster struck in the next match against Philadelphia
as Bart King
ripped through the Irish batting line up, taking all ten wickets in the first innings and a hat-trick in the second as Ireland lost by an innings and 168 runs. Harrington stood tall in the second innings with 27 not out
, the highest score of that innings for the Irish. Ireland also lost the last match of the tour, also against Philadelphia by an innings.
After the American tour, he played three first-class matches against Scotland in 1910, 1911 and 1912. He then came back to the Irish side nine years later for a final match against Scotland in August 1921 at the age of 51.
of 16.62. He took five wickets in an innings eight times and ten wickets in a match once.
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
– 2 January 1940 in County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
) was an Irish 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"....
. A right-handed batsman and off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
bowler, he played 28 times for the Ireland cricket team between 1894 and 1921, including fifteen first-class
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...
matches.
Playing career
Harrington made his debut for Ireland against I ZingariI Zingari
I Zingari are English and Australian amateur cricket clubs.-History:...
in July 1894, and soon became a regular member of the team. He played seven further times for Ireland until 1901, playing against I Zingari, the 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...
, Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
and South Africa, amongst others.
In 1902, he made his first-class debut for Ireland, playing against London County
London County Cricket Club
London County Cricket Club was a short-lived cricket club founded by the Crystal Palace Company. In 1898 they invited WG Grace to help them form a first-class cricket club. Grace accepted the offer and became the club's secretary, manager and captain. As a result, he severed his connection with...
in May. He played three further first-class matches that month, against the MCC, Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and Cambridge University
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
. He took 11 wickets in the match against Cambridge University, the only time he took more than ten wickets in a match for Ireland. His figures of 7/76 in the first innings were his best innings bowling figures for Ireland.
His career continued over the next ten years, playing against Scotland, South Africa, Cambridge University and 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....
, amongst others. He went with Ireland on a tour to the USA in 1909. The tour started well for Ireland with a five wicket win against New York on Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
but disaster struck in the next match against Philadelphia
Philadelphian cricket team
The Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia in first-class cricket between 1878 and 1913. Even with the United States having played the first ever international cricket match against Canada in 1844, the sport began a slow decline in the country. This decline was...
as Bart King
Bart King
John Barton "Bart" King was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. King was one of the Philadelphian cricketers that played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I...
ripped through the Irish batting line up, taking all ten wickets in the first innings and a hat-trick in the second as Ireland lost by an innings and 168 runs. Harrington stood tall in the second innings with 27 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
, the highest score of that innings for the Irish. Ireland also lost the last match of the tour, also against Philadelphia by an innings.
After the American tour, he played three first-class matches against Scotland in 1910, 1911 and 1912. He then came back to the Irish side nine years later for a final match against Scotland in August 1921 at the age of 51.
Statistics
In all matches for Ireland, he scored 270 runs at an average of 8.44 with a high score of 30 against Cambridge University in 1904. He took 112 wickets at an averageBowling average
Bowling average is a statistic measuring the performance of bowlers in the sport of cricket.A bowler's bowling average is defined as the total number of runs conceded by the bowlers divided by the number of wickets taken by the bowler, so the lower the average the better. It is similar to earned...
of 16.62. He took five wickets in an innings eight times and ten wickets in a match once.