Billy Barnes

William Barnes (27 May 1852 – 24 March 1899) was an English professional cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club from 1875 to 1894, and in 21 Test matches for England from 1880 to 1890. He was born at Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, and died at Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire. Barnes was an all-rounder. As a right-handed batsman, he scored 15,425 career runs in 459 first-class matches at an average of 23.19 runs per completed innings with a highest score of 160 as one of 21 centuries. He was a right-arm fast-medium bowler and took 902 first-class wickets at an average of 17.12 runs per wicket. He took five wickets in an innings 45 times with best figures of 8/64. He achieved ten wickets in a match ten times with a best return of 13/89. Barnes generally fielded in close catching positions, sometimes playing as wicket-keeper; he held 342 catches and completed 3 stumpings. Early years Born on 27 May 1852, Billy Barnes was mobile as a young man and became a professional cricketer in his teens. Having been born and raised in Sutton-in-Ashfield, he moved to Winchester when he was nineteen to coach the garrison players at Worthy Down Camp. A couple of years later, in 1873, he was engaged by the Victoria Park Club in Leicester. Barnes' elder brother, Thomas, was a first-class cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire in 1872, but he became ill with typhoid in 1873 and died on 22 September. In 1874, Billy Barnes was with the Nottingham Amateurs club, based at Trent Bridge. This brought him into contact with the county club who offered him a playing contract. In the 1881 UK census, Barnes listed his profession as a cotton weaver. He was then aged 28 and living in Stoney Street, Sutton-in Ashfield, with his wife Eliza, aged 24, who was also born in Sutton-in-Ashfield. Barnes and Eliza later had a son, James (1886–1963), who also played first-class cricket; he made three appearances for Nottinghamshire between 1908 and 1910.