William Ward (cricketer, born 1874)

{{short description|English cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

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

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = William Ward

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = William Ward

| partialdates =

| birth_date = 24 May 1874

| birth_place = Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1961|12|13|1874|5|24|df=yes}}

| death_place = Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| family =

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Slow left-arm orthodox

| role =

| international =

| club1 = Warwickshire

| year1 = 1895–1904

| clubnumber1 =

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 11

| runs1 = 79

| bat avg1 = 7.18

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| top score1 = 26

| deliveries1 = 1,937

| wickets1 = 30

| bowl avg1 = 32.16

| fivefor1 = 2

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 5/61

| catches/stumpings1 = 3/–

| date = 11 October

| year = 2015

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/22739.html Cricinfo

}}

William Ward (24 May 1874 – 13 December 1961) was an English cricketer active in first-class cricket between 1895 and 1904. He played as a left-handed batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler.

Ward made his debut in first-class cricket for Warwickshire against Hampshire in the 1895 County Championship at Edgbaston.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/33/33627/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by William Ward|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=10 October 2015}} He played one further match in 1895 against the same opponents at Southampton, before making eight further first-class appearances in 1896, including playing against the touring Australians. Ward would later play his final first-class fixture for Warwickshire eight years later in 1904 against Cambridge University. In a total of eleven first-class matches, Ward scored 79 runs as a tailend batsman, averaging 7.18, with a high score of 26.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/33/33627/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by William Ward|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=10 October 2015}} With the ball, Ward took 30 wickets with his slow left-arm orthodox, averaging 32.16 runs per wicket.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/33/33627/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=First-class Bowling For Each Team by William Ward|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=10 October 2015}} He twice took a five wicket haul and had career best figures of 5/61, taken against Hampshire in his debut match.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4424.html|title=Warwickshire v Hampshire, 1895 County Championship|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=10 October 2015}} He was later engaged as the professional at Lancashire League clubs Bacup (1907–1908) and Church (1909).{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/33/33627/all_teams.html|title=Teams William Ward played for|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=10 October 2015}}

He died at Birmingham on 13 December 1961.