Joseph Rowbotham

{{short description|English cricketer and umpire}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2016}}

File:Yorkshire CCC 1875.jpg

Joseph Rowbotham (8 July 1831 – 22 December 1899) was an English first-class cricketer, who played for Sheffield Cricket Club (aka Yorkshire) 1854–62; and for Yorkshire County Cricket Club 1863–76.{{cite book |title=The Yorkshire County Cricket Club: 2011 Yearbook |last=Warner |first=David |year=2011 |edition=113th |publisher=Great Northern Books |location=Ilkley, Yorkshire |isbn=978-1-905080-85-4 |page=377 }} In addition, he represented Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1856; the North 1857–75; the All-England Eleven (AEE) 1862–68; the Players 1864–69; an England XI in 1864; the combined Cambridgeshire and Yorkshire team in 1864; the combined Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire team in 1872; the United North of England Eleven (UNEE) 1870–75; and the Players of the North 1874–76). He played in minor and odds matches in 1865 on tour with the AEE.

Rowbotham was born in Highfield, Sheffield; died in Morecambe. He was Yorkshire's captain in 1873 and 1875. In 141 first-class matches, he scored 3,694 runs at 15.92, with three centuries and a highest score of 113 against Surrey. An occasional wicketkeeper, he held seventy catches and completed five stumpings. He also took three wickets for 37 against Gloucestershire in his only first-class bowling spell.

He umpired in one Test match: England versus Australia at Manchester from 10 to 12 July 1884.