Samuel Evan Butler (15 April 1850 – 30 April 1903) was an English

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 str ...

er who attended St Alban Hall and Brasenose College, Oxford. In the

University Match The University Match in a cricketing context is generally understood to refer to the annual fixture between Oxford University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Cricket Club. From 2001, as part of the reorganisation of first-class cricket, ...

of 1871 he took all ten

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

wickets in their first innings, the only time this has been achieved in the fixture, and (as of March 2013) the only time an Oxford bowler has taken ten wickets in any first-class innings.

Life

He was born at

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

in British Ceylon, the eldest son of Samuel Butler, who bought Combe Hay Manor in 1864. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

, where he was in the cricket XI. He matriculated in 1869 at St Alban Hall, Oxford, and graduated B.A. in 1875 at Brasenose College. He graduated M.A. in 1876 and the same year was called to the bar at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

. Butler resided at Caisson House near Combe Hay Manor, and from around 1881 had a

fuller's earth Fuller's earth is any clay material that has the capability to decolorize oil or other liquids without the use of harsh chemical treatment. Fuller's earth typically consists of palygorskite (attapulgite) or bentonite. Modern uses of fuller's ea ...

mine nearby. He married in 1884 Florence Grosvenor, third daughter of the Rev. Frederick Grosvenor, rector of

Dunkerton, Somerset Dunkerton is a small village in the civil parish of Dunkerton and Tunley, north east of Radstock, and south west of Bath, in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority, Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 502. History Th ...

. He died at

Combe Hay Combe Hay is a village and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It falls within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The parish has a population of 147. History Combe Hay was known in the Domesday Book as Cumb. The pari ...

, Somerset on 30 April 1903.

Cricketer

Butler's first-class career lasted only from 1870 to 1874; after leaving Oxford in 1873 he played in only two further first-class matches, both in 1874. 16 of his 21 matches were played for Oxford, the remainder being for various "Gentlemen" sides. He was a right-arm

roundarm In cricket, roundarm bowling is a bowling style that was introduced in the first quarter of the 19th century and largely superseded underarm bowling by the 1830s. Using a roundarm action, the bowlers extend their arm about 90 degrees from their ...

fast bowler and a right-handed batsman. ''Wisden'' says that he "possessed great pace". He took 106 wickets in his career at an average of 14.33, ten times taking five wickets or more in an innings and three times ten or more in a match. He was a negligible batsman, managing 256 runs at an average of 9.14, with a highest score of only 31. Having taken all ten Cambridge University wickets in their first innings of the University Match of 1871, Butler captured five more wickets in their second innings, for 15 in the match, and assisting

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...

to win by eight wickets. His figures were 10/38 and 5/57. His ''Wisden'' obituary says of him: "On that one afternoon at Lord's he was unplayable, but he never afterwards approached the same form."''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', 1904 edition, obituary
/ref> On the strength of his performance in the 1871 University Match, Butler was chosen for the Gentlemen against the Players that year both at Lord's and

the Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...

, but he did nothing of note with the ball and made a

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

in all three of his innings. In the 1873 University Match, Butler took 5/48 in Cambridge's first innings, helping Oxford to win a close match by three wickets.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butler, Samuel 1850 births 1903 deaths English cricketers Oxford University cricketers English cricketers of 1864 to 1889 People educated at Eton College Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford Gentlemen cricketers Gentlemen of the South cricketers Cricketers who have taken ten wickets in an innings Gentlemen of England cricketers Gentlemen of Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers