William Wigley (cricketer)

{{short description|New Zealand cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = William Wigley

| image =

| fullname = William Cranstoun Henry Wigley

| birth_date = {{birth date|1870|11|28|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Christchurch, New Zealand

| death_date = {{death date and age|1937|12|4|1870|11|28|df=yes}}

| death_place = Christchurch, New Zealand

| family = Thomas Wigley (father)

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling =

| role =

| club1 = Canterbury

| year1 = {{nowrap|1893/94–1903/04}}

| clubnumber1 =

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 22

| runs1 = 646

| bat avg1 = 17.00

| 100s/50s1 = 0/2

| top score1 = 73

| deliveries1 = 77

| wickets1 = 2

| bowl avg1 = 16.50

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 1/4

| catches/stumpings1 = 14/–

| date = 5 March

| year = 2024

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/38840.html Cricinfo

}}

William Cranstoun Henry Wigley (28 November 1870 – 4 December 1937) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played in 22 first-class matches for Canterbury from 1893 to 1904.{{cite web |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/38840.html |title=William Wigley |work=ESPN Cricinfo |accessdate=22 October 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/23/23102/23102.html |title=William Wigley |work=Cricket Archive |accessdate=22 October 2020}}

Wigley was the son of the Hon. Thomas Wigley, a runholder in South Canterbury and a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council. From 1881 to 1889, Wigley attended Christ's College, Christchurch, where he captained the cricket and rugby union teams and set a school record for the shot put.{{cite web | url = https://www.ancestry.com.au/imageviewer/collections/6193/images/42027_b0154337-00118| title = Christ’s College Grammar School List, 1850–1921| publisher = Ancestry.com.au| access-date =10 May 2024}}{{cite journal|title= Christ's College Sports|journal=Press|date=13 October 1893|page= 6|url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18931013.2.42}} He graduated from the University of New Zealand in 1897 with a Bachelor of Laws degree.{{cite journal|title= University Senate|journal=Lyttelton Times|date=1 March 1897|page= 6|url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT18970301.2.46}}

Wigley was a right-handed batsman. He was Canterbury's highest scorer when they toured the North Island in December 1897 and January 1898 playing four first-class matches, although he was unavailable for the final match against Wellington, which Canterbury lost. He scored 198 runs at an average of 39.60 in his three matches, all of which Canterbury won.{{cite journal |title=Tour of the Canterbury Team |journal=Press |date=15 January 1898 |page=3 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18980115.2.11}}{{cite journal |title=With the Canterbury Team |journal=Press |date=22 January 1898 |page=3 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18980122.2.9}} His best first-class match was on that tour against Auckland, when he scored 37 and 73; in the second innings he added 104 for the ninth wicket with Charles Clark after Canterbury had been 115 for 8.{{cite web |title=Auckland v Canterbury 1897-98 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/4/4918.html |website=CricketArchive |access-date=10 May 2024}}