Barnes Billy Image 1 Nottinghamshire 1890

Description

Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire born Billy Barnes was a right handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler who played for Nottinghamshire between 1875 and 1894, and played 21 Test matches for England between 1880 and 1890. He made his Test match debut against Australia at The Oval in September 1880, from when he was an automatic first choice for England over the next decade, and toured Australia three times and North America once.

For Nottinghamshire he was one of a trio of top class batsmen with Arthur Shrewsbury and William Gunn.

His bowling won at least two Test matches, and his batting did the trick as well. In the first Test ever played in Adelaide in December 1884 his 134 on a rain-damaged wicket ensured the win for England, his only Test century.  In the next Test of that series, at Melbourne, he bowled England into a 2-0 lead with second innings figures of 38.3-26-31-6. At Sydney two years later he did likewise taking 6-28 off 46 (four-ball) overs, a match in which England were skittled for 45 on the first morning and still won.

In 21 Tests he scored 725 runs at an average of 23.38 with five half centuries in addition to his Adelaide innings. As a bowler he took 51 Test wickets at 15.54 a piece, with a best of 6-28 and a best match performance of 9-81. In 459 first class matches he scored 15,425 runs at an average of 23.19, with 21 centuries and 69 half centuries, with a highest score of 160. As a bowler he took 902 wickets at an average of 17.02, with a best return of 8-64 with 45 five wicket innings and 10 ten wicket matches. He also took 342 catches and made 3 stumpings as an emergency wicket-keeper.

He also appeared regularly for the Players against the Gentlemen at Lord”s and The Oval.

His brother, Thomas, and nephew, James Barnes, both played first class cricket for Nottinghamshire.