William Murray-Wood (30 June 1917 – 21 December 1968) was an English amateur cricketer who played first-class cricket for Oxford University and Kent between 1936 and 1953.[1] He was Kent's captain in 1952 and 1953, leaving in controversial circumstances.
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Murray-Wood | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 30 June 1917 Dartford, Kent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 21 December 1968 (aged 51) Southwark, London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right arm leg break | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1936–1953 | Kent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1936–1938 | Oxford University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Cricinfo, 19 April 2008 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Live and career
editMurray-Wood was born at Dartford, Kent. He was educated at Mill Hill School in London, and at Oriel College, Oxford.[2]
Murray-Wood was primarily a batsman, and scored 106 not out on his first-class debut for Oxford in 1936 against Gloucestershire.[3][4] He also bowled leg-spin, with best figures of 6 for 29 for Oxford against The Army in 1937.[5] He was an excellent fieldsman.[6]
He made his Kent debut in 1936 and played occasionally until he was appointed captain of the Kent side in 1952.[3] He made his highest first-class score in the match against Sussex in 1952, scoring 107 and adding 233 in three hours with Dicky Mayes to save Kent from defeat.[7] His county career came to an abrupt end in 1953, when the Kent committee announced during Canterbury Cricket Week in August that he was being replaced as captain by Doug Wright. At the annual meeting the following February it was made clear that the county's amateur players had told the club they would not continue under Murray-Wood's leadership.[6]
Murray-Wood spent most of his life as a fruit farmer.[3][6] During World War II he served with the Special Operations Executive, training men and women to parachute into occupied territory and work with patriot forces.[3] He died in Guy's Hospital in London in December 1968, aged 51.[8]
References
edit- ^ William Murray-Wood, CricInfo. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ "Bill Murray-Wood". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d Obituaries in 1968 - Murray-Wood, William, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1969. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
- ^ "Oxford University v Gloucestershire 1936". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "Oxford University v Army 1937". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ a b c Derek Carlaw, Kent County Cricketers: Part Two, 1919–1939, ACS, Nottingham, n.d., pp. 127–30.
- ^ Wisden 1953, pp. 403–4.
- ^ "Obituaries", The Cricketer, Spring Annual 1969, p. 95.