Will Martingell

William Martingell (20 August 1818 – 29 September 1897), also known as Will Martingell, was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket between 1839 and 1860. He played primarily for Kent County Cricket Club and Surrey County Cricket Club, making over 180 first-class appearances during his career.

Will Martingell
An illustration of Martingell from about 1850
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Martingell
Born(1818-08-20)20 August 1818
Nutfield, Surrey
Died29 September 1897(1897-09-29) (aged 79)
Eton Wick, Buckinghamshire
NicknameGrannie
Height5 ft 10.5 in (1.79 m)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
RelationsRussell Martingell (father)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1841–1852Kent
1846–1859Surrey
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 182
Runs scored 2,401
Batting average 9.16
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 49
Balls bowled 12,058
Wickets 529
Bowling average 11.32
5 wickets in innings 37
10 wickets in match 4
Best bowling 8/37
Catches/stumpings 129/–
Source: CricInfo, 19 December 2018

Early life

Martingell was born at Nutfield in Surrey in 1818, the eldest child of Russell Martingell and his wife Sarah. His father was a shoemaker who played one first-class match for a Surrey team in 1828 and who had a reputation as a good fast underarm bowler.[1][2][3][4] Martingell learned the trade of shoemaking from his father and also worked as a gamekeeper.[1]

Cricket career

Martingell is first recorded as a cricketer in July 1839, playing for Lingfield Cricket Club against Montpelier Cricket Club in a match at Dormansland. A report in the Sussex Agricultural Express called his bowling "splendid" and reported that he was a "most promising" cricketer who was due to be employed at the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).[5] He made his first-class cricket debut later the same month playing for a Surrey side against MCC at Lord's, taking five wickets in the MCC second innings as they were dismissed for 15 runs.[4][6]

After being unable to find sponsorship to play as a professional at MCC or in Surrey, Martingell moved to Kent in 1841 and was "engaged" working under Fuller Pilch at Canterbury.[4][7] Pilch, who was one of the leading cricketers of the time, had managed the Old County Ground at Town Malling before moving to do the same at the Beverley Ground at Canterbury. Under Pilch's tuition Martingell quickly became established as one of the best professionals playing at the time and played for Kent, both before and after the formation of the first county club in 1842, and in matches at Lord's for a variety of sides. In 1844 he was employed by the Earl of Ducie at Woodchester Park in Gloucestershire and played for West of England teams four times in two years.[4][6]

In 1846 Martingell was one of the first two professionals to be employed by the newly formed Surrey County Cricket Club at The Oval,[1][8] Dulcie having sold his property in Gloucestershire.[4] He played for both Kent and Surrey until 1852 and, as a professional, turned out for a wide variety of other sides: MCC, England sides, William Clarke's All-England Eleven and played in 12 Gentlemen v Players matches between 1844 and 1858.[1][6][9] He made his last appearance for Kent in 1854 and for Surrey in 1859, with his final first-class matches in 1860 being played for MCC.[6]

In total Martingell played in 182 first-class matches, 49 of which were for Kent and 49 for Surrey.[6] He was considered one of the best professional players of his era, with both his batting and bowling considered to "rank high",[4][9] although his bowling was his greater strength.[7] The Sporting Review of 1846 considered him "a most excellent player, and a thoroughly well-conducted man".[10] He was considered a "fine judge of the game" and held many coaching appointments, including at Bradfield College, Rugby School and Eton College.[7] A benefit match held for him at The Oval in 1860 raised over £260.[7]

Personal life

Martingell married Caroline Evans at Monks Kirby in Warwickshire in 1850.[1] He was known by the nickname "Grannie" and died at Eton Wick in Buckinghamshire in September 1897 aged 79.[2][7]

References
  1. Bateson JH (2009) William Martingell 1818–1897, The RH7 History Group. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  2. William Martingell, CricInfo. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  3. Russell Martingell, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  4. Denison W (1846) Cricket: Sketches of the Players, pp.62–64. London: Simpkin Marshall. (Available online. Retrieved 2018-12-19.)
  5. Quoted in Bateson op. cit.
  6. William Martingell, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  7. Brown RJ The Cricketer. Reproduced at CricInfo. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  8. Leveson Gower HDG (1946) Hundred Years of Surrey Cricket, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1946. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  9. Birley D (1999) A Social History of English Cricket, p.80. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-78131-176-9
  10. The Sporting Review, July 1846, p.310. (Available online. Retrieved 2018-12-19.)
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