Book Description

Ewart Astill (1888-1948) was not only an outstanding all-rounder who amassed more than 2,000 wickets and very nearly 20,000 runs over a 30-year career with his native county, Leicestershire; he was also a person of thorough honesty, decency, kindness, cheerfulness, determination and loyalty. Only four players scored more career runs for Leicestershire and none took more wickets. One of only two county cricketers to have appeared in the Championship in every season between the Wars, Astill played a record 628 first-class matches for his county and achieved the ‘double’ of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in a season on no fewer than nine occasions. To the Leicestershire faithful he was the youngster of enormous promise and then the evergreen post-war veteran, who even more than his colleague George Geary shouldered the burden of their county’s bowling, and often their batting too, with a smiling chivalry and unwearied dedication that embedded him deep in their affections. One of nine first-class cricketers to have achieved the 20,000 runs/2,000 wicket ‘double’, his meagre total of only nine caps for England – all abroad – was probably more a reflection of Leicestershire’s perceived status as an ‘unfashionable’ county, than Astill’s playing ability. Off the field, Astill was a hugely popular figure who was a champion billiards player, a fine musician and an accomplished vocalist. He was frequently invited by leading representative teams to tour overseas and was seemingly the ‘life and soul of the party’ during off-field activities. Fred Root called him ‘the most versatile cricketer’ he had ever known and David Frith’s opinion was that ‘Of the stalwarts who served their countries for almost a lifetime Ewart Astill of Leicestershire has an exalted place’; but for Leicestershire supporters he was simply the best-loved of all their heroes.