A FAMOUS CRICKETER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1056, 20 February 1911, Page 4

A FAMOUS CRICKETER.

TRAGIC DEATH OF W. MURDOCH. By Tcleiraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Rec. February 19, 5.5 p.m.) Melbourne, February .16. Mr. W. X. Murdoch, the famous Australian Eleven captain, (lied'to-day under tragic circumstances. He was a spectator at the Test match, and during tho luncheon interval was stricken with an apoplectic fit.. He was taken- to the hospital, but died a few hours later. William Lloyd Murdoch, one of the most notable. figures in' the annals of Australian cricket, was born at Sandhurst, Victoria, on October 18, 1855. His early cricket-was identified with New South Wales, for which. v. ■ Victoria, at Sydney, in February, ISS2, he made 321, his highest score in'-.Australia in a firstclass match. He; came ovetf to England with the first; Australian team in 1878, mainly as second wicket-keeper, and proved himself the best batsman on the side. He was captain of. the Australian team that' visited England in 1850.1852, ISS4, and. 1890 (in the' England v.Anstra-, lian match at the Oval, iu September, 1830, ho. scored 153 not .out; at the Oval in August, 1884; he scored 211 for Australia, which was his highest score in a test match). •In all,'he played in Eighteen test matches in England and Australia, scoring 89G runs,in thirty-three innings, with' an average of 32. In 1893 he. qualified for Sussex, and captained the team, his_aggregate for'the county that season' being" 1088, and his average 30.8. He was second in the Sussex averages in 1894, scoring 172 not out v. Hants, at Southampton; .-in 1895 his' aggregate for Sussex was 923, and he compiled 226. v. Cambridgo University. at. Brighton; in 1896 he scored 114 for. Sussex v. Somerset (Sussex made 525 for four pickets); in 1897 his- aggregate for Snssex : was 12G3, and his average 30.33;-his aggregate in 1898 was 936, and his avorago 27.52; in 1899 he only played, in seven matches for Sussex, and in July resigned .the captaincy. In 1900 he" played. in eleven. matches for London Couitty, for, which club he* had .an nv?rage : of ?1.82; , int 1903 he scored 155 for London County: V. Lancashire at Manchester,- : in 1904 he played for Gents v. Players at: the,Oval!fn July, and scored 140. He v/as' a keen golfer. .