William Lillywhite

Frederick William Lillywhite (13 June 1792 – 21 August 1854) was an English cricketer during the game's roundarm era. One of the main protagonists in the legalisation of roundarm, he was one of the most successful bowlers of his era. His status is borne out by his nickname: The Nonpareil.

Lillywhite's known career spanned the 1825 to 1853 seasons, and he played for Sussex County Cricket Club as well as the Marylebone Cricket Club, and also represented Surrey, Hampshire, and Middlesex in the period before the formation of the current county clubs. Detailed bowling figures for many of his matches are not known: he took 1576 wickets in 237 matches, and took 155 five-wicket hauls and 55 ten-wicket hauls. He was an original member of William Clarke's All England Eleven.

He married Charlotte Parker (1790 - 1870) at Westhampnett, Sussex on 15 July 1822. Part of a cricketing dynasty, he was the father of John Lillywhite and Fred Lillywhite, and uncle of James Lillywhite.

Career

Early days Lillywhite was born on 13 June 1792 in Westhampnett, near Chichester.

Sussex debut Lillywhite's seasons in Brighton improved his bowling enough to earn him a debut for Sussex in 1825. Lillywhite made two more appearances for his county that season, and finished the year with thirteen wickets. He made four more appearances in 1826, while continuing to play West Sussex against East Sussex matches in Brighton and Petworth. He took 27 wickets that summer, including sixteen wickets – seven in the first innings and nine in the second – as part of a combined Surrey and Sussex against Hampshire in Bramshill on 7 August. Though he only features in five matches in 1827, eight the following season, and seven more the year after that, Lillywhite's wicket tallies continued to grow from twenty to thirty-four and then forty-two wickets including four five-wicket hauls in 1829, both representing then-career best return.

1833 to 1842 Lillywhite's cricket in the 1833 season was reduced to only six appearances, though he took thirty-seven wickets.

After taking fifty wickets in a season for the first time in 1836, Lillywhite then enjoyed unprecedented success in the 1837 season. He took 42 more wickets in 1838, before reaping great rewards in 1839 and 1840 with 78 and 83 wickets respectively. In 1842 he began playing for Hampshire and also for Cambridge Town. His wicket tallies passed one-hundred wickets for a season for the first time in 1842, when he took 103 from fourteen matches. ). "It was seldom that he played without obtaining a wicket," noted cricket historian R. J. Brown, "He was a short thick-set powerful man about 5' 4" in height, with a knack of detecting quickly any weak points in his opponents' defences."

Later life

He died in Islington, only a year after his benefit match, in August 1854, and was buried on the western team of Highgate Cemetery. His monument, which was paid for by public subscription, on the pedestal, a shield with crossed bats and stumps, with a ball removing a bail. On top of the pedestal is a broken column and wreath symbolising "a life cut short". His grave is listed Grade II on the National Heritage List for England.