Billy Goodhew

William Goodhew, known as "Billy", (24 May 1828 – 1 May 1897) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Kent and several other teams in the period between 1854 and 1866.^[1] He was born at Chislehurst, Kent and died at Canterbury.

Goodhew played as a professional and was a right-handed batsman and an infrequent but sometimes effective right-arm bowler who bowled in the round arm style. At his death, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack wrote of him: "Without ever being in the front rank of professional cricketers, Goodhew was a very fair bat and rendered useful service to Kent at a time when the fortunes of the county were at rather a low ebb."^[2] His best innings was a score of 70 out of a total of just 132 when opening the Kent batting against Sussex in 1862.^[3] As a bowler, his best return came when playing for a "Gentlemen of Kent" side – though a professional – against a Gentlemen of England team in 1858, when he took seven first-innings wickets for 40 runs.^[4] In addition to 69 first-class matches for Kent, he played for county combinations involving Kent with Sussex, Surrey and Nottinghamshire and for the South in the North v South matches.^[1]

After his playing career was over, Goodhew was used by Kent as an umpire in first-class matches from 1876 to 1882.^[1]

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