William Robertson (Canterbury cricketer)
{{short description|New Zealand cricketer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = William Robertson
| image =
| caption =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1864|3|4|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Invercargill, New Zealand
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1912|4|5|1864|3|4|df=yes}}
| death_place = Auckland, New Zealand
| batting =
| bowling = Right-arm off-spin
| club1 = Canterbury
| year1 = 1893-94 to 1900-01
| columns = 1
| column1 = First-class
| matches1 = 12
| runs1 = 68
| bat avg1 = 7.55
| 100s/50s1 = 0/0
| top score1 = 15
| deliveries1 = 2880
| wickets1 = 85
| bowl avg1 = 14.44
| fivefor1 = 10
| tenfor1 = 4
| best bowling1 = 9/98
| catches/stumpings1= 5/0
| international = true
| country = New Zealand
| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/william-robertson-38339 Cricinfo
| date = 24 September
| year = 2014
}}
William Robertson (4 March 1864 – 5 April 1912) was a New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Canterbury from 1894 to 1901 and played in New Zealand's first representative matches.
Cricket career
An off-spinner who opened the bowling, on his first-class debut for Canterbury against Auckland in January 1894 Robertson took 8 for 59 then, bowling unchanged throughout the second innings, 6 for 48.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4068.html Canterbury v Auckland 1893-94] In his next match he took 6 for 72 (unchanged again) and 2 for 72.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4076.html Canterbury v New South Wales 1893-94] Selected for New Zealand's first representative match in February 1894, he was New Zealand's outstanding player, taking 6 for 76 and 4 for 73 in a 160-run loss to New South Wales.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4078.html New Zealand v New South Wales 1893-94] He then took seven wickets against Otago and eight against Hawke's Bay to give him 47 wickets in five matches at an average of 12.12. He was New Zealand's leading wicket-taker for the season.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/Seasonal_Averages/NZ/1893-94_f_Bowling_by_Average.html 1893-94 bowling by average]
After taking only one wicket in the first match in 1894-95, he then took 4 for 65 and 9 for 98 against Wellington,[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4251.html Canterbury v Wellington 1894-95] 6 for 54 and 5 for 40 against Fiji,[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4265.html Canterbury v Fiji 1894-95] and four wickets against Otago, to finish with 29 wickets at 14.00. He was New Zealand's joint leading wicket-taker for the season.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Seasons/Seasonal_Averages/NZ/1894-95_f_Bowling_by_Average.html 1894-95 bowling by average]
He played only one match in 1895-96, for New Zealand against New South Wales, when he took three wickets and made his highest score, 15, in a tenth-wicket partnership of 67 with Arthur Fisher that gave New Zealand a sufficient lead to enable them to go on to their first victory.[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4473.html New Zealand v New South Wales 1893-94] After a gap of five years he returned to the Canterbury side in 1900-01 for his final two matches, and took six wickets.{{fact|date=January 2024}}
Dick Brittenden said of Robertson: "He spun the ball either way a prodigious amount ... Small and slender, he suffered much ill-health, and asthma ended a brilliant career cruelly early." An accident in his youth had resulted in the loss of two fingers of his left hand.R.T. Brittenden, Great Days in New Zealand Cricket, A.H. & A.W. Reed, Wellington, 1958, p. 25.
Often known as "Billy" or "Pro", Robertson was also a successful cricket coach.{{cite journal |title=Cricket |journal=Press |date=2 January 1923 |page=11 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19230102.2.86}}{{cite journal |author-link=Johnny Fowke|last1=Fowke |first1=Johnny |title=Reminiscences of the Sporting World |journal=Star |date=24 January 1920 |page=8 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS19200124.2.36}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22773/22773.html William Robertson at CricketArchive]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, William}}
Category:New Zealand cricketers
Category:New Zealand cricket coaches
Category:Pre-1930 New Zealand representative cricketers