Richard Wardill

Richard Wilson Wardill (3 November 1840 – 17 August 1873) was an Australian cricketer who played in ten first-class cricket matches, eight of which were for Victoria. He was the first cricketer to score a century in Australian first-class cricket, when he made 110 and 45 not out in Victoria's victory over New South Wales in 1867-68.[1][2] Wardill was also an influential player and administrator in the early years of Australian rules football. On Boxing Day 1866 he captained the Melbourne Cricket Club against the Western District Aboriginal cricket team, led by Tom Wills.

This article is about the Australian cricketer. For the Australian rules footballer, see Dick Wardill.

Richard Wardill
Personal information
Full nameRichard Wilson Wardill
Born(1840-11-03)3 November 1840
Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Died17 August 1873(1873-08-17) (aged 32)
Melbourne, Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight arm medium pace (roundarm)
RoleBatsman
RelationsBenjamin Wardill (brother)
Dick Wardill (son)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1861–73Victoria
1864G. Anderson's XI
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 10
Runs scored 381
Batting average 25.40
100s/50s 1/1
Top score 110
Balls bowled 202
Wickets 8
Bowling average 10.50
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 3/23
Catches/stumpings

Wardill was a prolific gambler, and to nurture his habit he defrauded his employer, the Victorian Sugar Company, of £7000. He confessed to his crime in August 1873 and soon after committed suicide by drowning himself in the Yarra River. He was survived by his wife, Eliza Helma Lovett (née Cameron), and a son, Richard.[3] Cricket writer Gideon Haigh published an article on Wardill in 1992 titled "The Drowned Bradman".

His brother Benjamin also played cricket for Victoria.

See also

References
  1. "Richard Wardill". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  2. "Victoria v NSW 1867-68". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  3. Cranfield, Louis R. (1976). "Richard Wilson Wardill". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 March 2015.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)



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