William Ashby (cricketer)

William Ashby (12 January 1786 – 10 April 1847) was an English cricketer. He was born at Linton, Kent and played mainly for Kent teams.[1][2] He was considered one of the best slow bowlers of his era and one of the pioneers of roundarm bowling.[3]

Ashby was born in 1786 and Linton, Kent, the son of Thomas and Frances Ashby. He was a carpenter by trade who worked on the Sutton Valence estate of John Willes, a Kent landowner and cricketer and arguably the most influential proponent of rounder bowling in the early 19th century. Ashby already had a reputation as a fine cricketer and is first known to have played for the county side in 1807 alongside Willes.[3]

He made his first-class cricket debut the following season and went on to make 45 appearances in top-class matches, most of them for Kent XIs. He also appeared for Hampshire, Sussex and Surrey sides as well as for MCC and played nine times for the Players against the Gentlemen.[2][3] He played in the 1822 Kent match against MCC at Lord's when Lord Frederick Beauclerk, a leading MCC member, contrived to have Willes no-balled for throwing in an attempt to have rounder bowling outlawed. Willes famously left the match although Ashby, whose bowling action was probably lower than Willes', remaining in the match.[3]

Ashby played his last first-class match in 1830 but continued to play club cricket. He was employed as a professional at Camberwell Cricket Club in 1836 and played there for 10 years.[3]

Ashby married Sarah Whatson in 1819 and had two children, a son and a daughter. He died of bronchitis at Lambeth in 1847 aged 61.[1][3]