 Beldham (c.1860) in old age | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | William Beldham |
| Born | 5 February 1766 Wrecclesham, Surrey, England |
| Died | 26 February 1862 (aged 96) Tilford, Surrey, England |
| Nickname | Silver Billy |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right arm fast medium (underarm) |
| Role | Batting all-rounder |
| Domestic team information | |
| Years | Team |
| 1782–1786 | Farnham |
| 1785–1807 | Hambledon/Hampshire[note 1] |
| 1788–1817 | Surrey |
| 1790–1818 | MCC |
| 1787–1820 | England |
William "Silver Billy" Beldham (5 February 1766 – 26 February 1862)[2] was an English professional cricketer who played for numerous teams between 1782 and 1821. He was born at Wrecclesham, near Farnham in Surrey, and died at Tilford, Surrey. In some sources, his name has been given as "Beldam" or "Beldum". A right-handed batting all-rounder, he is widely recognised as one of the greatest batsmen of cricket's underarm era. Using an underarm action, he bowled pitched deliveries at a fast medium pace. He generally fielded in close catching positions, mostly at slip and sometimes played as wicket-keeper.
Beldham began his career locally with Farnham Cricket Club. He was soon invited to join the Hambledon Club and became mainly associated with the county teams of Hampshire and Surrey. He regularly played for England teams from 1787 until 1820 and also in many matches for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
- ^ Buckley 1937, p. 7.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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