Robert Owen Clayton (1 January 1844 – 26 November 1901) ^[1] was a Welsh first-class cricketer .

Born Penygroes , Caernarvonshire , Clayton was a right arm fast bowler, he played 70 matches for Yorkshire between 1870 and 1879, ^[1] and 121 in all, with 33 appearances for the MCC between 1872 and 1881, plus appearances for the North of England (1871-1877), Single (1871), Players of the North (1876-1877), United North of England Eleven (1876) and an England XI (1877).

He was a devastating bowler on his day, taking 254 first-class wickets in all matches at 16.75. His best bowling, 8-66 in a Roses Match , was one of eighteen occasions when he took five wickets in an innings , and he twice took 10 wickets in a match . He had a strike rate of a wicket every 43.12 deliveries. He also scored 1,709 first-class runs, batting right-handed down the order. His only first class fifty was 62 against Middlesex , and he averaged 10.23 over his career.

He was a club professional for Over Darwen , Lancashire in 1867, Hull Town in 1868, Hunslet in 1869 and 1871 and in 1870 with the Sunderland Club in Durham . He was also engaged by Rossall School and Cambridge University . He played for Northumberland in 1870, while engaged at Sunderland and, in 1881, for Lincolnshire . He was a leather dresser by trade, and became a first-class umpire after retiring from the field of play, standing in at least 76 matches between 1876 and 1900.

Clayton died aged 57, in November 1901 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire .

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

• Cricket Archive
• Cricinfo