William Henry Sayen (22 January 1883 – 29 January 1965) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

first-class

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er. The son of the railway builder William Henry Sayen, he was born at

St. Davids, Pennsylvania St. Davids is a primarily residential neighborhood located in the eastern part of Wayne, Pennsylvania. It is served by its own train station. St. Davids is home to the main campus of Eastern University, a four-year, liberal arts university affili ...

, in January 1883. He was educated at Haverford School, before going up to Princeton University. Sayen was interested in

at a young age, an interest which he carried into his adult life. A member of the

Merion Cricket Club Merion Cricket Club is a private club in Haverford, Pennsylvania, founded in 1865. The current clubhouse is its sixth, the last four having been designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness and his partner, Allen Evans, who was also a founder ...

, his fast bowling gained notoriety when he was the first American selected to represent the Gentlemen of England, making his debut in first-class cricket for the team against Cambridge University at Eastbourne in June 1908. He joined the touring Philadelphian cricket team the following month, making six first-class appearances against English county opponents. For the Philadelphians, he scored 113 runs on the tour, at an average of 10.27 and a high score of 29. With the ball, he took 9 wickets at a

bowling average In cricket, a player's bowling average is the number of runs they have conceded per wicket taken. The lower the bowling average is, the better the bowler is performing. It is one of a number of statistics used to compare bowlers, commonly use ...

of 28.77, with best figures of 4 for 44. His bowling was described as the sensation of the English sporting world. While in England, Sayen met Edith May Conyers, the sister of the Bermudian politician

Reginald Conyers Sir James Reginald Conyers CBE (3 September 1879 – 26 July 1948) was a Bermudian lawyer, politician, and cricketer. Born in Pembroke Parish, Bermuda, Conyers was a keen member of the Hamilton Cricket Club, and toured the United States with the ...

, with the couple marrying in 1910. Following the tour, he played no further first-class cricket. He settled in Princeton, becoming the president and treasurer of the Mercer Rubber Co. He served during the First World War, though not with the United States Army, instead serving with the 9th Army Corps and the 34th Corps of the French Army. For his service in the war, Sayen was decorated with the French commemorative medal and the ''

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

'', including a citation from General Pétain. Following the war, he became active in local affairs in Princeton, serving on the Princeton Borough Council. In his role he was instrumental in the paving of Nassau Street. He was also the founder and first president of the Princeton Chamber of Commerce. He retired from the Mercer Rubber Co. in 1956 and in his retirement he wrote ''A Yankee Looks at Cricket'', a book on the history of cricket in America. Following the death of his first wife, with whom he had two children, he married Emily C. Lyman around 1956. He died at Princeton following a three year long illness in January 1965, one week after his 82nd birthday.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sayen, Henry 1883 births 1965 deaths People from Radnor Township, Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Delaware County, Pennsylvania Haverford School alumni Princeton University alumni American cricketers Gentlemen of England cricketers Philadelphian cricketers 20th-century American businesspeople French military personnel of World War I Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) 20th-century American non-fiction writers Cricketers from Pennsylvania