William Downes (1843 – 1 January 1896) was a New Zealand

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. He played nine first-class matches for Otago between 1865 and 1876.William Downes
CricketArchive. Retrieved 30 October 2022. Downes was born in

Nantwich Nantwich ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. It has among the highest concentrations of listed buildings in England, with notably good examples of Tudor and Georgian architecture. ...

, Cheshire, and went to Australia with his family. He later moved on to New Zealand, attracted by the

Otago Gold Rush The Otago Gold Rush (often called the Central Otago Gold Rush) was a gold rush that occurred during the 1860s in Central Otago, New Zealand. This was the country's biggest gold strike, and led to a rapid influx of foreign miners to the area – ...

of the 1860s. Described as a man of "commanding presence, fine physique and genial nature", he began playing for Otago soon after his arrival. The New Zealand cricket historian

Tom Reese Thomas Wilson Reese (29 September 1867 – 13 April 1949) was a New Zealand first-class cricketer who played for Canterbury from 1888 to 1918, and later wrote a two-volume history of New Zealand cricket. Life and career Reese was one of the fir ...

described Downes as "the best bowler in New Zealand before 1876 ... a medium-fast bowler with a splendid length and a considerable leg-twist". In 1866-67 he took 6 for 8 and 4 for 14 to dismiss

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

for 25 and 32 and give Otago an innings victory. In his last first-class match, in 1875–76, he took 7 for 38 and 3 for 53, but this time Canterbury won. Downes was the manager of the

Bank of New South Wales The Bank of New South Wales (BNSW), also known commonly as The Wales, was the first bank in Australia, being established in Sydney in 1817 and situated on Broadway. During the 19th century, the bank opened branches throughout Australia and N ...

Wanganui Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whang ...

, where he died after a long illness on 1 January 1896. He had worked for the bank for 30 years, and as manager of the Wanganui branch for six. His longest stay at one branch of the bank was 16 years in

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

, Otago, before transferring to New Plymouth in 1884. In its brief notice of his death, ''The Feilding Star'' called him "one of the most sterling men in the colony". Twice married, he left a widow, three sons and three daughters.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Downes, William 1843 births 1896 deaths New Zealand cricketers Otago cricketers People from Nantwich British emigrants to New Zealand