{{short description|English cricketer and umpire}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = | image = | country = England | fullname = Henry Royston | birth_date = 12 August 1819 | birth_place = Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1873|9|30|1819|8|12}} | death_place = St John's Wood, London, England | heightft = 5 | heightinch = 6 | nickname = Cocky<ref>{{cite book |title=The History of Cricket |date=1950 |first=Eric |last=Parker |publisher=Seeley Service |pages=132 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b6-fAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref> | family = | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm roundarm slow | role = | club1 = Marylebone Cricket Club | year1 = 1843–1861 | club2 = Middlesex | year2 = 1850–1862 | columns = 1 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 68 | runs1 = 1,065 | bat avg1 = 10.44 | 100s/50s1 = –/2 | top score1 = 60 | deliveries1 = 1,796 | wickets1 = 110 | bowl avg1 = 12.01 | fivefor1 = 6 | tenfor1 = 1 | best bowling1 = 8/44 | catches/stumpings1 = 28/– | date = 23 August | year = 2019 | source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/19858.html Cricinfo }}
'''Henry Royston''' (12 August 1819 – 30 September 1873) was an English first-class cricketer and cricket umpire.
Royston was born at Harrow on the Hill in August 1819. A professional all-round cricketer, he began his 25 year association with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1843,<ref name="BOOK">{{cite book |title=Cricket: Sketches of the Players |date=1846 |first=William |last=Denison |publisher=Simpkin, Marshall |pages=71–2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kiJeAAAAcAAJ |language=en}}</ref> making his debut in first-class cricket for the club against Hampshire at Lord's. Throughout the 1840s, he played for a number of club sides and played his first-class cricket almost exclusively for the MCC, except for two appearances for an England XI in 1845 and 1847.<ref name="FCM">{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32525/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by Henry Royston |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-08-23 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> He first played for Middlesex in 1850, debuting for the county in first-class matches against Surrey.<ref name="FCM"/> He also made first-class appearances for several other teams, including the Players in the Gentlemen v Players match, for the South in the North v South fixture and for a United England Eleven amongst others. His four appearances for Middlesex were sporadic and spread over a period of twelve years,<ref name="FCM"/> with his final appearance coming just two years before the formation of Middlesex County Cricket Club. It was for the MCC that he played the vast majority of his first-class matches for, making a total of 51 appearances between 1843–61.<ref name="FCM"/> In these matches he scored 974 runs at an average of 12.02, with a high score of 60.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32525/f_Batting_by_Team.html |title=First-class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Henry Royston |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-08-23 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Standing 5 foot 6 inches tall and bowling right-arm roundarm slow,<ref name="BOOK"/> he also took 91 wickets for the MCC at a bowling average of 11.28, with best figures of 8 for 44. He took five wickets in an innings on five occasions and took ten wickets in a match once.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32525/f_Bowling_by_Team.html |title=First-class Bowling For Each Team by Henry Royston |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-08-23 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> His appearances in club cricket continued into the 1850s and early 1860s, demonstrating that Royston was a sought after player, with him making guest appearances for the personal teams of many leading cricket figures of the day, including Sir Frederick Hervey-Bathurst, Robert Grimston and Roger Kynaston.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32525/all_teams.html |title=Teams Henry Royston played for |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-08-23 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Besides playing, he was a well known umpire, standing in 133 first-class matches between 1846 and 1872.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32525/Umpire_in_First-Class_Matches.html |title=Henry Royston as Umpire in First-Class Matches |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-08-23 |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Away from cricket, Royston was by trade a confectioner.<ref name="BOOK"/> He died at St John's Wood in September 1873.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{cricinfo|id=19858}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royston, Henry}} Category:1819 births Category:1873 deaths Category:People from Harrow on the Hill Category:Cricketers from the London Borough of Harrow Category:English cricketers Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers Category:English cricket umpires Category:Middlesex cricketers Category:Over 36 v Under 36 cricketers Category:Marylebone Cricket Club and Metropolitan Clubs cricketers Category:Over 30s v Under 30s cricketers Category:Non-international England cricketers Category:United All England Eleven cricketers Category:Players cricketers Category:North v South cricketers Category:Confectioners