William Ward (cricketer, born 1874)

William Ward (24 May 1874 – 13 December 1961) was an English cricketer active in first-class cricket between 1895 and 1904. He played as a left-handed batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler.

Ward made his debut in first-class cricket for Warwickshire against Hampshire in the 1895 County Championship at Edgbaston.[1] He played one further match in 1895 against the same opponents at Southampton,[1] before making eight further first-class appearances in 1896, including playing against the touring Australians.[1] Ward would later play his final first-class fixture for Warwickshire eight years later in 1904 against Cambridge University.[1] In a total of eleven first-class matches, Ward scored 79 runs as a tailend batsman, averaging 7.18, with a high score of 26.[2] With the ball, Ward took 30 wickets with his slow left-arm orthodox, averaging 32.16 runs per wicket.[3] He twice took a five wicket haul and had career best figures of 5/61,[3] taken against Hampshire in his debut match.[4] He was later engaged as the professional at Lancashire League clubs Bacup (1907–1908) and Church (1909).[5]

He died at Birmingham on 13 December 1961.