Ewart Astill - Professional Cricketer

William Ewart Astill was born on 1st March 1888 and along with George Geary, the mainstay of the Leicestershire team from 1922 to about 1935.
He played in nine Test matches but was never picked for a home Test or for an Ashes tour.
However, for the best part of three decades he was a vital member of a generally struggling Leicestershire team.
With no amateur able to play frequently for the county, Astill became the first officially appointed professional captain of any county for over fifty years in 1935.
The county enjoyed a useful season, but at forty-seven years of age, Astill was only a stop gap before an amateur of the required standard and availability could be found.
He was a nephew of Leicestershire fast bowler Thomas Jayes.
Astill began his career at the age of eighteen in 1906.
He played only one match that season, but his medium-paced right-hand bowling on the treacherous pitches of the following season was so difficult that he took in county cricket 74 wickets for 16.58.
The following year, Astill was Leicestershire's chief bowler with 84 wickets. His thirteen for 61 against Derbyshire on a treacherous pitch was a result he was never able to beat for twenty-five years after that. He again did well in 1909, but struggled in 1910 and 1911 and was dropped from his team.
In the wet summer of 1912, Astill regained his place but was expensive considering the favourable conditions and on the firmer wickets of 1913 he could not retain his place. In 1914, he played only five matches.
During the First World War, Astill gained a commission in the Machine Gun Corps. He played only three times in 1919 because he was late to be demobilised as he was overseas.
Astill started his career low in the batting order but emerged after the war number four or five. His maiden century in 1921 was against newly promoted Glamorgan at Swansea.
He completed the double in each season from 1921 to 26, and again from 1928 to 30. He took over 150 wickets in 1921 and 144 in 1922, and his bowling, even if his action was not as high as in the 1900s, was always steady and occasionally deadly.
Only in 1927 did he fail to take 100 wickets, but that season Astill made his highest first-class score of 164 against Glamorgan. In all he took 100 wickets in nine seasons and passed a thousand runs in eleven.
Astill, was never seriously in the running for a tour to Australia, but toured the West Indies with private parties during the middle 1920s, and played in five Tests on matting in South Africa in 1927/28, and four against the West Indies in 1929/1930, although he was not effective in those matches.
In 1926/27 he was a member of the party that toured India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Burma with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), playing 24 matches and taking 71 wickets. His form declined from 1933 onwards.
Although Astill retired at the end of 1937, Leicestershire was short of effective players and he was forced to come out of retirement twice in 1938 and in 1939.
During World War II Astill rejoined the Army but later resigned his commission on the grounds of health.
His health subsequently declined he died in Leicester Hospital just three weeks before his sixtieth birthday. He is buried in Welford Road Cemetery.
Ewart Astill was also a champion billiards player and according to EE Snow, was a noted player of trick shots. He was also an accomplished singer and accompanist.

[@GenerationsFound]

Love all the ivy on the headstones. A lovely walk through the cemetery. The story is so interesting

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank you for your kind words...I also think the Ivy makes the Headstones more interesting 😀

[@d.jonesofroyalleamingtonsp6034]

Great vid Johno, I love cricket history and all the stuff about needing to have an amateur 'Gentleman' to captain your side - fascinating stuff!

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank you for your kind words 🙏 😊

[@cemeteryvisits]

Very nice tribute video Johno 👍 I must honestly admit I don’t know anything about cricket but after this video I’m going to research the sport 👍
Excellent as always Johno ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Me neither Jim...but some people love the sport! Hence the video...thank you for your kind words and continued support 👍

[@cemeteryvisits]

Maybe I can get a team together here in the colonies, never know it might take off well 👍👍

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

@Cemetery Visits with Jim you never know Jim

[@cemeteriesdownunder9247]

This was very interesting Johnno thankyou , I really love the cemeteries over in the UK , hope your well xx

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Hi CD....hope all is well !

[@cemeteriesdownunder9247]

@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 all is well now thanks , I had a break from YT for a few weeks needed the headspace

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

@@cemeteriesdownunder9247 I know what you mean ! Thank you so much for your kind words 🙏

[@bella_Areghostsreal]

This is so cool. My Grandfather was an English Cricketer Umpire for the English Team. So they may have met. My Grandfather after he retired then became a cricket correspondent for the Daily Mail and became pretty famous his name was Alex Bannister. He tried to get me interested in cricket , but I have to say i was too young at the time to appreciate the sport or understand it.

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thanks Bella...you are such a lovely person....and always give a very in depth and kind analysis of my videos....my only Claim to fame was when I lived in Australia...I shared a flat with Abus Hussain......the Brother of Nasa Hussain....who subsequently became the Captain of England

[@bella_Areghostsreal]

@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 Oh wow, that is pretty cool. That is a great claim to fame! Your video's are very entertaining. I love the history and the research you put in. :) keep them coming ! I know I still need to catch up though on a few as missed a lot.

[@joanmatchett8100]

Interesting video 👍

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank you so much for watching 👀

[@hellograves]

Beautiful cemetery and great video Johno!! 👍

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thank you for watching 👀

[@hellograves]

@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 😁

[@brendakrieger7000]

Very nice🪦

[@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235]

Thanks Brenda 😊

[@brendakrieger7000]

@@johnosgraveyardjaunts2235 you're welcome