George Edward Willes (16 August 1844 – 8 September 1901) was an English clergyman and a cricketer who played in five first-class cricket matches for Cambridge University in 1865 and 1866.[1][2] He was born at Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire and died at Burnham, Buckinghamshire.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George Edward Willes | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 16 August 1844 Hamstall Ridware, Staffordshire, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 8 September 1901 (aged 57) Burnham, Buckinghamshire, England | ||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||
| Relations | Edmund Willes (cousin) | ||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||
| 1865–1866 | Cambridge University | ||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 10 September 2023 | |||||||||||||||
Willes was educated at Rugby School and at Trinity College, Cambridge.[3] He played cricket at Rugby as a right-handed middle-order batsman, but in his first year at Cambridge University in 1864 did not progress beyond the trial matches.[1] In both 1865 and 1866 he was picked for a few early-season matches, but often batted well down the order; his greatest success in first-class cricket came in the second innings of the 1866 match against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's when he was demoted to No 12 in a 12-a-side game and proceeded to hit 51 out of a last-wicket partnership of 79 which forced MCC to bat again when they appeared on course for an innings victory.[4] He played only one further first-class match and was not picked for the University Match against Oxford University during his time at Cambridge.[1] He continued to play in minor matches into his 50s.
Willes graduated from Cambridge University in 1868 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[3] The same year, he was ordained as a deacon in the Church of England and in 1869 he became a priest.[3] He served as curate at parishes at Buckingham and at Aynho in Northamptonshire and was vicar of Christ Church, Epsom from 1874 to 1881.[3] He was rector of Calverton in Buckinghamshire from 1881 to 1900, and then moved to Burnham as vicar, but died a year later.[3]
The Oxford University cricketer Edmund Willes was a cousin.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "George Willes". www.cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
- ^ "George Willes". www.espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d e J. Venn and J. A. Venn. "Alumni Cantabrigienses: George Willes". p. 481. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
- ^ "Scorecard: Marylebone Cricket Club v Cambridge University". www.cricketarchive.com. 11 June 1866. Retrieved 8 September 2017.