William Bullen

This article is about the 18th century English cricketer. For the Wisconsin settler, see William Bullen (Kenosha pioneer).

William Bullen
Cricket information
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
RoleAll-rounder
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1774–1796Kent
FC debut2 July 1773 England XI v Hampshire
Last FC4 July 1797 Charles Lennox's XI v Earl of Winchilsea's XI
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 113
Runs scored 1,777
Batting average 10.21
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 54
Balls bowled –[a]
Wickets 181[a]
Bowling average –[a]
5 wickets in innings 5
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 6/?[a]
Catches/stumpings 119/–
Source: CricInfo, 16 July 2022

William Bullen was a leading English cricketer throughout the last quarter of the 18th century, his known career spanning the years 1773 to 1800.[2] He was an all-rounder who probably batted right-handed.[b] He played mainly for Kent sides[c] although he also appeared for England XIs[d] and a variety of other sides.[3]

Arthur Haygarth, writing in the 1860s, describes Bullen as a "close set, strong built man" and a "crack" (i.e. expert) player, who was a "renowned batsman and bowler".[5] He was a fast bowler, in the underarm style, and a hard-hitting batsman who was a "powerful" player.[5] He is reputed to have "frequently bowled the sixth part of a mile (about 300 yards), or the whole length of the Artillery Ground in London".[5][6] He was possibly a native of Deptford in Kent[5] and is known to have played for Dartford Cricket Club as well as teams organised by landowners from the western parts of the county.[3]

Bullen is known to have played in 113 matches retrospectively recognised as first-class.[3] In these matches, Bullen totalled 1,777 runs with a highest score of 54, his only half-century. He held 119 catches and is credited with 181 wickets.[a] His best known performance was six wickets in an innings.[3]

Bullen played in nearly every season from 1773 to 1800. The first match he is known to have played in was for an England XI against a Hampshire side on the Artillery Ground in July 1773. He batted in both the England innings, scoring 1 in each.[7] In July 1774, playing again for England against Hampshire at Sevenoaks Vine, he took five wickets in Hampshire's first innings, the earliest recorded instance of a bowler taking five wickets in an innings.[8] He played for Kent sides from 1774, including matches against Maidstone teams in 1777,[9] and his final known matches were in four odds matches[e] for Kent sides against England teams in 1800.[3]

  1. ^ Carlaw, p. 31. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  2. ^ William Bullen, CricInfo. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g William Bullen, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-08-06. (subscription required)
  4. ^ Birley, p. 364.
  5. ^ a b c d Haygarth, p. 8.
  6. ^ Grace, WG. Cricket . p. 481 – via Wikisource.
  7. ^ Haygarth, p. 7.
  8. ^ Haygarth, pp. 17–18.
  9. ^ Waghorn, p. 48.


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