Roy Kilner facts for kids
Roy Kilner in 1925
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| Full name |
Roy Kilner
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| Born | 17 October 1890 Wombwell, Yorkshire, England |
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| Died | 5 April 1928 (aged 37) Kendray, Barnsley, Yorkshire, England |
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| Batting | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Left-arm orthodox spin / Left-arm unorthodox spin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 214) | 14 June 1924 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 27 July 1926 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1911–1927 | Yorkshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 23 April 2010
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Roy Kilner (born October 17, 1890 – died April 5, 1928) was a professional cricket player from England. He played nine Test matches for the England team between 1924 and 1926.
Roy was an all-rounder, meaning he was good at both batting and bowling. He played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1911 to 1927. In all his first-class matches, he scored 14,707 runs. His batting average was 30.01. He also took 1,003 wickets with a bowling average of 18.45.
Kilner scored 1,000 runs in a season ten times. He also took 100 wickets in a season five times. Four times, he achieved the "double". This means he scored 1,000 runs and took 100 wickets in the same season. This is a sign of a truly great all-rounder.
Roy first played for Yorkshire as a batsman before World War I. He became a regular player for the team. After being injured in the war, he returned in 1919. The Yorkshire team needed more bowlers. So, Kilner started practicing his bowling a lot. He became a highly respected slow left-arm bowler.
People loved his energetic batting and friendly personality. He was popular with both players and fans. His great performance led to him being chosen for the England team in 1924. He then went on a tour to Australia for the Ashes series of 1924–25. He was the second-best bowler on that tour. However, his bowling became less effective later on. He was chosen for the 1926 Ashes series but was not picked for the final match.
Kilner often traveled to India in the English winters to coach cricket. In 1928, during one of these trips, he became very sick. He died at the age of 37 after returning to England. Over 100,000 people attended his funeral. His death caused widespread sadness.
Contents
Roy Kilner's Early Life
Kilner was born on October 17, 1890. His hometown was Wombwell, near Barnsley, in Yorkshire, England. He was the second son in a family of eleven children. His brother, Norman, also played cricket for Yorkshire.
The Kilner family went to Wombwell Parish Church. Roy and his brothers were part of the Church Lads' Brigade. His father and his uncle, Irving Washington, encouraged him to play cricket. Irving Washington was a former Yorkshire player. Roy showed great talent and joined his local team, Mitchell Main. This team was from a colliery (coal mine).
Starting Cricket at Mitchell Main
In 1904, at age 14, Kilner joined the Mitchell Main first team. He played regularly from 1905. At first, he wasn't very successful with the bat. He played aggressively but often tried risky shots. This meant he often got out. His bowling was better but he didn't bowl very often.
By 1909, his batting got much better. He scored his first century (100 runs) for the team. He started making consistently good scores. This caught the attention of the Yorkshire cricket team.
First Years Playing for Yorkshire
Making His Debut for Yorkshire
After scoring another century for Mitchell Main in early 1910, Kilner was chosen for the Yorkshire Second XI. In his first season, he took three wickets. His batting average was 12.50. He still played well for Mitchell Main.
In 1911, Yorkshire sent Kilner to play for Harrogate Cricket Club. This club offered a higher level of cricket. Yorkshire had a system to help young players gain experience. Kilner started to perform well in both batting and bowling. His form for the Yorkshire Second XI was less consistent. However, he made his first-class debut for Yorkshire that season. It was against Somerset in the County Championship. He scored 0 and 14 runs and did not bowl. In six more matches for Yorkshire in 1911, his highest score was 18 runs. His batting average was only 6.66. He did not take any wickets. He was more successful for Harrogate, scoring 519 runs and taking 28 wickets.
Becoming a Regular Yorkshire Player
Kilner started 1912 well for the Yorkshire Second XI. He scored centuries in two games in a row. In the second game, he also took twelve wickets for 75 runs. These great performances, along with his good form for Harrogate, led to him being called back to the Yorkshire first team in June.
He replaced the injured all-rounder George Hirst in a match against Nottinghamshire. On the first morning, Kilner was the sixth bowler used. He bowled well, taking four wickets for 66 runs. He didn't score in the first innings. In the second innings, Yorkshire needed 249 runs to win. Kilner came in to bat when the score was 133 for four. He shared a partnership of 113 runs for the fifth wicket. He scored 83 not out (meaning he wasn't dismissed). This helped Yorkshire win by five wickets.
This performance kept Kilner in the team for the rest of the season. He played 23 times for Yorkshire. He scored 570 runs with an average of 22.80. He also took 16 wickets with an average of 22.12. These numbers were considered good for a first full season. Yorkshire won the County Championship that season. After 1913, he mostly stopped playing for Harrogate. During his time there, he scored 967 runs and took 71 wickets.
In the 1913 season, Kilner scored 1,586 runs. This was his highest total of runs in a season. His average was 34.47, placing him third in Yorkshire's batting averages. He also took 18 wickets. In late May and early June, Kilner was part of century partnerships in four matches in a row. This led to his first first-class century against Leicestershire. He scored 104 runs, hitting 18 fours. He shared a 184-run partnership with his friend Major Booth. They helped Yorkshire recover from a difficult situation.
His batting was always daring and attacking. However, he often started his innings uncertainly and showed impatience. Yorkshire had a strong and varied bowling attack. This meant his left-arm spin was not often needed. Even so, Yorkshire finished second in the Championship.
An illness in the winter of 1913–14 affected Kilner at the start of the 1914 season. He scored over 1,000 runs for the second time. But his total runs and average both dropped due to his uncertain form. He scored 1,329 runs (average 30.90). His bowling was rarely used, and he took only one wicket. Kilner scored his second first-class century against Gloucestershire late in the season. He made 169 runs in about three and a half hours, hitting 28 fours. Yorkshire finished fourth in the championship.
Roy Kilner and World War I
The United Kingdom declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914. Kilner was playing in a match at Old Trafford at the time. At first, the government wanted cricket to continue. But as the war continued and more people were hurt, public opinion changed. The County Championship was stopped until 1919.
With cricket paused, Kilner and his friend Major Booth joined the army together. They joined the Leeds and Bradford "Pals" in the West Yorkshire Regiment. Kilner trained as a mechanic. He was stationed at Colsterdale in North Yorkshire as a corporal.
While on leave in November 1914, Kilner married Annie Campbelljohn. Booth was his best man. During the war, Annie gave birth to their first child, Roy junior. Kilner was sent to Egypt with his army group. But he had to return home due to an injury. When he recovered, he was sent to the Western Front in France.
During the Battle of the Somme, he was wounded by shrapnel in his wrist. This happened just before his group went into battle. Later in the same battle, Major Booth was killed. Kilner recovered in a military hospital. He was then assigned to Preston Garrison as a mechanic. Kilner suffered another loss when his brother Bernard was killed in Ypres in 1917.
Before the war, Kilner had played football for Mitchell Main. While stationed in Preston during the war, he played as a right-back for Preston North End F.C.. The team won promotion in 1915. They played in the First Division when league football started again in 1919. Kilner sometimes played under the name Smith. It is not clear how often he played for the club.
Cricket Career After the War
From Batsman to Bowler
When cricket started again in 1919, County Championship matches were shorter. After some players died in the war or from illness, Yorkshire needed more bowlers. Kilner was asked to bowl more overs. He took 45 wickets, more than he had taken in his entire career before the war. His bowling average was 18.12. He also scored three centuries and 1,135 runs with a batting average of 29.10.
His performances earned him a spot in a special match, the Gentlemen v Players game. Kilner's brother Norman also played for Yorkshire in 1919.
Kilner started the 1920 season with his highest score ever: 206 not out against Derbyshire. He batted for four hours, hitting 24 fours and two sixes. He scored 1,316 runs that season with two more centuries. He took 27 wickets.
Critics thought Kilner should bowl more often. Wilfred Rhodes, Yorkshire's main slow left-arm spinner, agreed. Rhodes was 42 and wanted help with bowling. He thought Kilner was the best choice. Rhodes encouraged Kilner to improve his left-arm spin. So, during the winter, Kilner practiced bowling in his father's hotel yard. Around this time, his second son was born, named Major after Major Booth.
Kilner's bowling improved a lot in 1921. He took 61 wickets with an average of 18.80. This included his first five-wicket hauls (taking five wickets in one innings). He scored 1,137 runs with an average of 27.73. He made centuries in two matches against Northamptonshire. He shared big partnerships in both games. He continued to work on his bowling during the winter.
Becoming a Top All-Rounder
By 1922, Kilner's bowling was so good that he took over 100 wickets in a season for the first time. He took 122 wickets with an average of 14.72. This helped Yorkshire win the County Championship. Wisden, a famous cricket almanac, said this was his first season as a main bowler.
In the first five games of the season, he took 21 wickets. In a match against Essex, he took ten wickets in a match for the first time. He took eleven wickets for 51 runs. He also took ten wickets against Hampshire. At the same time, his batting remained strong. He scored 1,198 runs and two centuries. This meant he completed the double for the first time.
After the season, Kilner coached for the Maharaja of Patiala in India during the English winter. He played in several first-class matches there. He enjoyed it so much that he returned the next winter.
Kilner's best year as a bowler was in the 1923 season. He took 158 wickets with an average of 12.90. He finished second in Yorkshire's bowling averages. With the bat, he didn't score a century that year. But he still made 1,401 runs with an average of 34.17. He had nine scores over fifty runs. His contributions helped his team win the County Championship again.
He started the season very well, taking 27 wickets in the first four matches. This included his best bowling figures ever: eight wickets for 26 runs against Glamorgan. Later that season, against Surrey, he had one of his best bowling performances. Surrey needed 184 runs to win and looked like they would win. Kilner took the last five wickets for only 15 runs, winning the match for Yorkshire. He finished with six wickets for 22 runs and ten wickets in the match.
In the same season, Kilner was chosen for the Gentlemen v Players match at Lord's Cricket Ground. This was a very important game. Wisden said he was sure to be picked for the England Test match team soon. He was also selected as one of Wisden's Bowlers of the Year.
Roy Kilner's Test Match Career
His Test Debut for England
After another winter coaching in India, Kilner took 145 first-class wickets in the 1924 English summer. He was second in the national averages. His batting was not as good; he scored 731 runs, his lowest total since 1912.
Kilner took 33 wickets in the first six matches of the season. His good form earned him a spot in a Test trial match. He took three wickets in the first innings and one in the second. After taking 19 wickets in his next three matches, he was chosen for the England team for the first Test.
In his first Test, he scored 59 runs. South Africa was bowled out for only 30 runs in their first innings. Kilner didn't get a chance to bowl then. In the second innings, he bowled 22 overs but didn't take a wicket. Commentators were not impressed with his bowling.
The selectors did not pick Kilner for the next two Tests. However, he played in the Gentlemen v Players match at Lord's. He scored a quick 113 runs, his only century of the season. Kilner was called back for the fourth Test. But rain stopped play after the first day. He bowled 12 overs without taking a wicket. This meant he hadn't taken any wickets in his first two Tests. He did not play in the last Test.
For Yorkshire, he had a more successful time. He took ten wickets in a match three times. This included twelve wickets for 55 runs in the final championship match. Yorkshire won this match and became champions for the third year in a row.
Even though his batting was not great, he had a very good season as a bowler. Still, his selection to tour Australia that winter surprised some people.
Playing in Australia
Kilner played for the MCC team under Captain Arthur Gilligan. He scored 103 runs against Western Australia in his first match in Australia. He continued to show good all-round form in less important matches. But in the main first-class matches before the Tests, he was less successful.
He did not play in the first two Test matches, which England lost. But he was chosen for the third Test. During the match, many teammates got injured. This meant Kilner had to bowl a lot. Australia scored 489 runs. England's fast bowlers got injured. The spinner Tich Freeman hurt his wrist. Kilner and Frank Woolley were the only fit main bowlers left. England fielded for almost nine hours. Kilner bowled 56 overs and took four wickets for 127 runs. His first Test wicket was Arthur Richardson.
England could not score as many runs as Australia. But when Australia batted again, rain fell. This made the pitch good for spin bowling. Australia lost their last seven wickets quickly. Kilner took four wickets for 14 runs in his final bowling spell. He finished with four wickets for 51 runs. England needed 375 runs to win. Kilner scored 24 runs, but England lost by 11 runs. Australia then led the series 3–0.
Between the third and fourth matches, Kilner bowled very well. He took five wickets for 35 runs against Tasmania. He also took ten wickets for 66 runs against Victoria. He kept his place for the final two Tests.
In the fourth Test, which England won easily, Kilner scored 79 runs. This was his highest Test score. He added 133 runs with Dodger Whysall, the biggest partnership of the match. When Australia batted, Kilner took five wickets in the match. He was one of the best bowlers. In the final Test, Kilner took four wickets for 97 runs. But he could not stop Australia from winning their fourth match of the series.
Kilner finished the series with 129 runs, averaging 29.80. He mostly batted at number eight. Wisden noted he scored runs when they were needed. In the Tests, he took 17 wickets with an average of 23.47. Wisden said that only Kilner could take wickets to support Tate, who was the most successful bowler.
Roy Kilner's Final Seasons
Bowling Decline and Popularity
In 1925, Kilner had a special "benefit match" to raise money for him. He had a better batting record that season. But critics started to notice his bowling was getting worse. He was good on pitches that helped spin bowlers. But he struggled on flatter pitches, which were common in the dry summer of 1925. Cricket magazines said he often bowled leg theory. This was a defensive tactic when batting conditions were easy.
He took 131 wickets with an average of 17.92. He finished second in Yorkshire's averages. He scored 1,068 runs with an average of 30.51 and two centuries. This was his third time completing the "double". Kilner was very popular with the crowds in 1925. Over 71,000 people attended his benefit match. It raised £4,106, a new record for benefit money.
In the winter of 1925–26, Kilner toured the West Indies with the MCC. He didn't have much success there. He scored 249 runs in first-class matches and took 34 wickets.
Yorkshire's winning streak ended in 1926. Lancashire finished first, and Yorkshire was second. Kilner had some good matches, but his performance showed signs of getting worse. He scored 1,187 runs with his highest seasonal average ever, 37.09. He completed the double for the fourth and final time by taking 107 wickets. But his bowling average of 22.52 was his worst since 1920.
He played for the Players team for the last time, scoring 72 runs. His final first-class century was against Middlesex, where he scored 150 runs. During the summer's Ashes series, he was chosen for the first four Tests. He only batted twice and scored a highest of 36. He took seven wickets. For the final Test, Kilner was replaced by 48-year-old Wilfred Rhodes. Rhodes played well, and England won the Ashes for the first time since 1912. Kilner had played his last Test match. In nine Tests, he scored 233 runs and took 24 wickets.
In the winter of 1926–27, Kilner did not go on an MCC tour to India. The 1927 season was Kilner's last. It was his least effective season in years. Yorkshire also had a disappointing summer. He did not score a century. He scored 1,004 runs and took 86 wickets. Wisden said his bowling was no longer effective. He finished fifth in both batting and bowling averages for Yorkshire.
In Kilner's final County Championship match, he scored 91 not out and took eight wickets. This helped Yorkshire win. In his final first-class match, Kilner scored an unbeaten 51. He ended his first-class career with 14,707 runs and 1,003 wickets.
Roy Kilner's Death
The Maharaja of Patiala again invited Kilner to play and coach in India in the winter of 1927–28. Kilner's sister said he really didn't want to go but accepted. The trip started sadly when his uncle died the day after he left.
Near the end of the trip, he got a fever. His teammates thought he got sick after eating oysters. He had chills and sweating on his way home. When he arrived in Southampton, it was clear he was very sick. He refused treatment there, wanting to go home to his family. He arrived in Wombwell on March 27, 1928. His doctor examined him and he was taken home.
His condition got worse, and he was taken to Kendray Fever Hospital. On April 5, 1928, Kilner died from enteric fever (typhoid fever). He was 37 years old.
The town of Wombwell was very sad. Tributes came from all over the world. When Kilner's funeral took place on April 10, the streets were full of mourners. Many came from outside the town. It is estimated that 100,000 people were there to pay their respects. Over a thousand people were at the cemetery for the burial. Yorkshire cricketers carried his coffin.
Two years later, the Australian team that toured England in 1930 visited Kilner's grave. They laid a wreath. The priest at the funeral said: "A Yorkshire wicket has fallen and one of Yorkshire's best men is out... not merely because it is the loss of a great cricketer, but because it is the loss of such a cricketer as Roy Kilner was."
Roy Kilner's Style and Personality
Kilner first joined the Yorkshire team as a batsman. He was considered a good, reliable batsman. However, some critics thought his style was unusual. He often batted high in the order for Yorkshire. But for England, he batted lower, between number seven and nine. If the game needed it, he could play slowly and carefully. He was especially good at playing the drive and pull shot. His batting was not usually affected by his improved bowling.
As a bowler, Kilner was very effective on pitches affected by rain. His accuracy also allowed him to bowl well on good pitches. In 1923, a journalist said Kilner spun the ball more than any other English bowler. He often bowled over the wicket, which was unusual for a left-arm spinner at that time. This made him and Wilfred Rhodes, another left-arm spinner, more effective together. It also allowed him to surprise batsmen with different deliveries, like an arm ball that didn't turn.
Kilner was also known for his imagination in bowling. He always tried to find new ways to get batsmen out. He would try different things, like changing his speed, if conditions were not good for bowlers. Kilner sometimes bowled left-arm wrist spin. He practiced it a lot. His brother Norman believed Roy was the one who first used the term "chinaman" to describe this bowling style.
The Yorkshire team was very successful but often seemed serious. Kilner, however, was very popular with the fans. They liked his cheerfulness and his desire to entertain. He had many friends in cricket. When he was chosen as a Bowler of the Year in 1924, Wisden said he loved the game and had a happy personality. His obituary described him as modest and generous. His Times obituary said he was "not only a notable exponent of the game, but a man of rare charm."
Cricket writer Neville Cardus was a big fan of Kilner. Cardus wrote down several things Kilner supposedly said. For example, about matches between Yorkshire and Lancashire, Cardus quoted Kilner saying: "What we want is no umpires and fair cheating all round."
Images for kids
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Roy Kilner in 1925
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Wilfred Rhodes, pictured c. 1920, encouraged Kilner to develop his bowling.
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Kilner bowling in the fifth Test at Sydney, 1924–25
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Kilner batting in the fifth Test at Sydney, 1924–25
