Ashdown Bill Image 6 Kent 1935

Description

Bromley, Kent born Bill Ashdown made his first class debut for Kent in 1914, for G.J.V. Weigall’s team against Oxford University in The Parks. Although he was only 15, he scored 3 and 27. He is the only man to have played first class cricket before the First World War and after the Second World War. He played for Kent regularly until 1937, passing 1,000 runs in a season 11 times, and his highest score was 332 against Essex at Brentwood in 1934, a score which remains the highest individual score by a Kent cricketer. Ashdown scored a second triple century for the County, scoring 305 not out against Derbyshire at Dover in 1935, and is one of only two Kent batsman to have scored a triple century whilst playing for the County, having been the only triple centurion until Sean Dickson made 318 against Northamptonshire in 2017.

In his career of 487 first class matches, he scored 39 centuries and 105 half centuries, his total of 22,589 runs scored at an average of 30.73. He was also successful as a right-arm medium-fast bowler, taking 602 wickets at a bowling average of 32.47, with 13 five wicket innings and a best of 6-23. He took 400 catches in first class cricket and made one stumping as an emergency wicket-keeper.

He retired from County cricket in 1937 but came out of retirement in 1947, when he was 48, to play for Maurice Leyland’s XI against the Rest of England in a festival match at Harrogate. He finished in some style, with 42 and 40. After retirement he became an umpire, and stood in three Tests against New Zealand and West Indies in 1949 and 1950. He also coached Leicestershire, and was their scorer for a time as well.

NB in the photograph Ashdown stands far right with Kent teammates (l-r) Les Ames, Charlie Wright and Leslie Todd.