William Findlay (22 June 1880 – 19 June 1953) 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 striki ...

er and administrator.

Life

Findlay was born in Liverpool. He was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

. He played

first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...

for

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

and

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 the ...

as a batsman and wicket-keeper. When

Albert Chevallier Tayler Albert Chevallier Tayler (1862–1925) was an English artist who specialised in portrait and genre painting, but was also involved in the plein air methods of the Newlyn School. He studied at Heatherley's School of Art, Royal Academy School ...

was preparing his painting, ''

Kent vs Lancashire at Canterbury ''Kent vs Lancashire at Canterbury'' is an oil on canvas painting by Albert Chevallier Tayler completed in 1907. It was commissioned by the Kent County Cricket Club at the suggestion of chairman Lord Harris to celebrate their first County Cham ...

'' he arranged sittings with the Kent team. Tayler also intended to do the same with the non-striking Lancashire

batsman In cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the ball with a bat to score runs and prevent the loss of one's wicket. Any player who is currently batting is, since September 2021, officially referred to as a batter (historically, the ...

Harry Makepeace Joseph William Henry Makepeace (22 August 1881 – 19 December 1952) was an English sportsman who appeared for his country four times at each of cricket and football. He is one of just 12 English double internationals. Cricket Makepeace playe ...

. Makepeace however was unable to attend a sitting, so Tayler compromised by using Findlay as the batsman. Findlay had not actually played in that particular match, but he was able to travel to Tayler's London studio as he had just been appointed as secretary of

Surrey County Cricket Club Surrey County Cricket Club (Surrey CCC) is a first-class club in county cricket, one of eighteen in the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Surrey, including areas that now form South London ...

after his retirement as a cricket player at the end of 1906. Findley was secretary at

until 1920 when he was appointed as assistant secretary to Sir Francis Lacey at the

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...

; he succeeded Lacey as secretary in 1926 and served until 1936. He was president of MCC in 1951-52.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Findlay, William 1880 births 1953 deaths English cricketers Lancashire cricketers Oxford University cricketers English cricket administrators Secretaries of the Marylebone Cricket Club Gentlemen cricketers Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Presidents of the Marylebone Cricket Club People educated at Eton College Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Wicket-keepers