A tall, strongly-built right-arm opening bowler,[1] Lankham had an outstanding season for the Auckland United club in 1880–81, taking 84 wickets at an average of 3.32, helping Auckland United to an undefeated season.[2] He played for the Auckland XXII against the touring English team in 1881–82, taking 3 for 69 off 87 four-ball overs. The English captain, Alfred Shaw, regarded Lankham as the best bowler the tourists faced in New Zealand.[1]
Lankham played his first first-class match in December 1882 for Auckland against Canterbury in Christchurch. He took 7 for 39 in Canterbury's first innings; on the second day, which was also his 21st birthday, he made the second-top score in Auckland's first innings with 27, batting at number ten; then he took 4 for 60. Canterbury nevertheless won by 27 runs.[3] Auckland then travelled to Wellington, where Lankham took 3 for 28 and 4 for 41 in an Auckland victory.[4] The team then crossed Cook Strait again to play Nelson. In a match in which 40 wickets fell for 370 runs, Lankham took 6 for 18 and 4 for 39, and Auckland won by four runs after the Nelson last-wicket pair had put on 50, the highest partnership of the match.[5]
Three months later Taranaki travelled to Auckland to play their initial first-class match, but Lankham was too much for them, bowling unchanged through both innings to take 13 for 35 (7 for 13 and 6 for 22) and dismiss Taranaki for 63 and 55 to give Auckland an innings victory.[6] Lankham finished the season as the leading wicket-taker in New Zealand with 41 wickets at an average of 6.34.[7]
In 1883-84 Auckland played only one first-class match, against Canterbury in Auckland. Lankham bowled for most of the first innings and unchanged in the second to take 6 for 60 and 6 for 54, and Auckland won by four wickets.[8] He never played again, and died from tuberculosis two days before his 25th birthday.[9]
william, lankham, december, 1861, december, 1886, zealand, cricketer, played, five, first, class, matches, auckland, before, death, personal, informationborn, 1861, december, 1861auckland, zealanddied2, december, 1886, 1886, aged, devonport, zealand, aucklandb. William Lankham 4 December 1861 2 December 1886 was a New Zealand cricketer who played five first class matches for Auckland before his death at the age of 24 William LankhamPersonal informationBorn 1861 12 04 4 December 1861Auckland New ZealandDied2 December 1886 1886 12 02 aged 24 Devonport New Zealand AucklandBowlingRight arm medium fastRelationsGeorge Lankham father Domestic team informationYearsTeam1882 83 to 1883 84AucklandCareer statisticsCompetition First classMatches 5Runs scored 90Batting average 12 85100s 50s 0 0Top score 27Balls bowled 1367Wickets 53Bowling average 7 055 wickets in innings 610 wickets in match 4Best bowling 7 13Catches stumpings 7 0Source Cricket Archive 29 September 2014 Contents 1 Life and career 2 See also 3 References 4 External linksLife and career editA tall strongly built right arm opening bowler 1 Lankham had an outstanding season for the Auckland United club in 1880 81 taking 84 wickets at an average of 3 32 helping Auckland United to an undefeated season 2 He played for the Auckland XXII against the touring English team in 1881 82 taking 3 for 69 off 87 four ball overs The English captain Alfred Shaw regarded Lankham as the best bowler the tourists faced in New Zealand 1 Lankham played his first first class match in December 1882 for Auckland against Canterbury in Christchurch He took 7 for 39 in Canterbury s first innings on the second day which was also his 21st birthday he made the second top score in Auckland s first innings with 27 batting at number ten then he took 4 for 60 Canterbury nevertheless won by 27 runs 3 Auckland then travelled to Wellington where Lankham took 3 for 28 and 4 for 41 in an Auckland victory 4 The team then crossed Cook Strait again to play Nelson In a match in which 40 wickets fell for 370 runs Lankham took 6 for 18 and 4 for 39 and Auckland won by four runs after the Nelson last wicket pair had put on 50 the highest partnership of the match 5 Three months later Taranaki travelled to Auckland to play their initial first class match but Lankham was too much for them bowling unchanged through both innings to take 13 for 35 7 for 13 and 6 for 22 and dismiss Taranaki for 63 and 55 to give Auckland an innings victory 6 Lankham finished the season as the leading wicket taker in New Zealand with 41 wickets at an average of 6 34 7 In 1883 84 Auckland played only one first class match against Canterbury in Auckland Lankham bowled for most of the first innings and unchanged in the second to take 6 for 60 and 6 for 54 and Auckland won by four wickets 8 He never played again and died from tuberculosis two days before his 25th birthday 9 See also editList of Auckland representative cricketersReferences edit a b W Lankham Observer 4 16 December 1882 Auckland United Cricket Club The New Zealand Herald 6 14 June 1881 Canterbury v Auckland 1882 83 Wellington v Auckland 1882 83 Nelson v Auckland 1882 83 Auckland v Taranaki 1882 83 1882 83 bowling by average Auckland v Canterbury 1883 84 Grey River Argus 4 December 1886 p 2 External links editCricinfo player profile Cricket Archive profile Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William Lankham amp oldid 1190226171, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
