Bill Lockwood (cricketer)
A mercurial English fast bowler whose terrifying pace and lethal breakbacks provided the perfect, chaotic foil to the metronomic Tom Richardson.
1868–1932 (age 64)·English cricketer·Birthday: March 25·The Gilded Age
Biography
Bill Lockwood was the wild card in Surrey's legendary late-Victorian bowling attack. While his partner Tom Richardson was the indefatigable workhorse, Lockwood was the explosive artist. He possessed a slinging, round-arm action that generated fearsome pace and a devastating break-back that could shatter the stumps from a good length. His career was a rollercoaster of brilliance and inconsistency, plagued by injuries and fluctuations in form. When he was fit and firing, however, he was virtually unplayable, forming with Richardson one of the most potent partnerships in cricket history and driving Surrey to multiple County Championships. A more than handy lower-order batsman, he also scored over 10,000 first-class runs, often in aggressive, match-shifting cameos. His legacy is that of a quintessential match-winner, capable of changing a game in a single spell.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Bill was born in 1868, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1868
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1868Born
President: Andrew Johnson
1873Started school
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1881Became a teenager
President: Chester A. Arthur
1884Could drive
President: Chester A. Arthur
1886Could vote
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1889Turned 21
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1898Turned 30
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1908Turned 40
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1918Turned 50
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1928Turned 60
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1932Died at 64
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
Key Achievements
- Took 1,316 first-class wickets at an average of 18.34, with 121 five-wicket hauls.
- Formed a legendary fast-bowling partnership with Tom Richardson that dominated county cricket for Surrey.
- Played in 12 Test matches for England, taking 43 wickets including a best of 7/71 against Australia.
- Scored over 10,000 first-class runs, including 5 centuries, demonstrating all-round capability.
Did You Know?
He was known for bowling a particularly dangerous 'break-back' delivery that moved sharply into right-handed batsmen.
Lockwood's Test career was relatively brief due to competition and his own inconsistent fitness.
He began his career as a batsman who bowled occasionally before developing into a frontline fast bowler.
“A good length ball with a bit of devil in it settles most arguments.”
