William Bullen facts for kids

William Bullen was a very important English cricket player. He played during the late 1700s, from 1773 to 1800. He was known as an all-rounder, which means he was good at both batting and bowling. He probably batted with his right hand. William Bullen mostly played for teams from Kent. He also played for special England teams and other groups.

William Bullen: Cricket Star

Who Was William Bullen?

A writer named Arthur Haygarth described William Bullen. He said Bullen was a "close set, strong built man." This means he was well-built and powerful. Haygarth also called him a "crack" player. This means he was an expert at cricket. Bullen was famous for his skills in both batting and bowling. He was a very strong player.

His Amazing Cricket Skills

William Bullen was a fast bowler. He used the underarm style, where the arm swings below the shoulder. He was also a hard-hitting batsman. He could hit the ball with great power. People even said he could bowl the ball a very long way. Sometimes, he could bowl it about 300 yards! That's almost the length of three football fields. He might have been from Deptford in Kent. He played for the Dartford Cricket Club. He also played for teams put together by rich landowners in Kent.

Playing Big Matches

William Bullen played in 113 matches that are now called first-class games. These were the most important matches of his time. In these games, he scored a total of 1,777 runs. His highest score in one game was 54 runs. This was his only half-century, meaning he scored more than 50 runs. He also caught 119 balls. He took 181 wickets as a bowler. His best bowling performance was taking six wickets in one part of a game, called an innings.

Early Games

Bullen played almost every year from 1773 to 1800. His first known match was in July 1773. He played for an England team against a Hampshire side. This game took place at the Artillery Ground. He batted in both parts of the England team's turn. He scored 1 run in each turn. In July 1774, he played for England again. This time, it was against Hampshire at Sevenoaks Vine. He took five wickets in Hampshire's first innings. This was the first time anyone recorded a bowler taking five wickets in an innings.

Later Career

William Bullen played for Kent teams starting in 1774. This included games against teams from Maidstone in 1777. His last known matches were in 1800. He played in four special games for Kent teams against England teams.