William Lambert (1779 – 19 April 1851) was an English professional cricketer in the first two decades of the 19th century. Playing mainly for Surrey from 1801, but also for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and some other county teams, Lambert was a right-hand batsman and an underarm slow bowler.[2]

William Lambert

Lambert in old age
Personal information
Born	1779 Burstow, Surrey
Died	19 April 1851(1851-04-19) (aged 71–72) Nutfield, Surrey
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Slow underarm
Role	Batsman
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1801–1817	Surrey
1806	Kent
1806–1807	Hampshire
1816–1817	Sussex
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 64 Runs scored 3,013 Batting average 27.64 100s/50s 4/16 Top score 157 Balls bowled ?[lower-alpha 1] Wickets 187+ Bowling average – 5 wickets in innings 2 10 wickets in match 0 Best bowling 6/? Catches/stumpings 62/26
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 25 January 2019

Lambert was described by Arthur Haygarth as "one of the most successful cricketers that has ever yet appeared, excelling as he did in batting, bowling, fielding, keeping wicket, and also single wicket playing".[3]

Career

His main claim to fame is that he is the first player known to have scored two centuries in the same match, though others such as Tom Walker had come close. Lambert achieved this in the Sussex v Epsom match at Lord's between 2 and 6 July 1817. Curiously, this turned out to be his final first-class appearance because he was banned for life soon afterwards following allegations of match-fixing in an earlier game.

Although he was a professional, Lambert played for the Gentlemen in the inaugural and second Gentlemen v Players matches in 1806. He and William Beldham were selected for the Players but, to try to balance the two teams, they were given men for the Gentlemen in the first match. In the second match, Beldham returned to the Players but Lambert was again a given man for the Gentlemen.[4][5]

Lambert played in a great many matches that were not first-class including numerous single wicket events. Indeed, he was outstanding in the latter form of the game.

His first-class record from 1801 to 1817 has 64 matches. He played 114 innings (5 not out) and scored 3,014 runs at 27.65 with a highest score of 157 in the Sussex v Epsom game. He scored 4 centuries and 16 fifties.

He was a strong fielder and an occasional wicket-keeper, taking 61 catches and 26 stumpings.

Lambert's bowling analyses are incomplete and we only know of his bowled victims. He took 187 wickets (bowled only) and his best tally was 6 in one innings.

References

Notes

Bibliography

• H S Altham, A History of Cricket, Volume 1 (to 1914), George Allen & Unwin, 1926
• Derek Birley, A Social History of English Cricket, Aurum, 1999
• Rowland Bowen, Cricket: A History of its Growth and Development, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1970
• Samuel Britcher, A list of all the principal Matches of Cricket that have been played (1790 to 1805)
• G B Buckley, Fresh Light on Pre-Victorian Cricket, Cotterell, 1937
• Arthur Haygarth, Scores & Biographies, Volume 1 (1744-1826), Lillywhite, 1862
• John Major, More Than A Game, HarperCollins, 2007