Will Mortlock

William Mortlock (18 July 1832 at Kennington, London – 23 January 1884 at Lambeth, London) was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1851 to 1870. His brother Thomas was a first-class umpire.

A right-handed batsman and slow underarm bowler who played for Surrey County Cricket Club, Mortlock made 191 known appearances in first-class matches.^[1] He represented the Players in the Gentlemen v Players series.

Mortlock sometimes opened the innings and he scored a total of 5528 runs at an average of 18.73 with a highest score of 106. He made three career centuries. A versatile fielder, renowned as a longstop who seldom allowed a bye, he took 85 catches.^[2][3] He took 147 wickets with underarm bowling at 18.02 with a best analysis of 7/42 and he twice claimed ten wickets in a match. Haygarth considered his lob bowling 'rubbish'. Mortlock participated in the first cricket tour of Australia in 1861-2. The team travelled to Australia on the SS Great Britain.^[4] It was on this tour that Mortlock gained the nickname 'Old Stonewall' for his stubborn defensive batting and longstopping.^[3]

Mortlock died at his home in Acre Lane, Brixton, on 23 January 1884, after an illness that had incapacitated him for two years. He was buried at West Norwood Cemetery.^[3]

• Will Mortlock at CricketArchive (subscription required)

• H S Altham, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1962
• Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, Volumes 1-11 (1744–1870), Lillywhite, 1862–72

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