William McMath

{{short description|New Zealand cricketer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2016}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2016}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = William McMath | image = | country = | fullname = | birth_date = 1881 | birth_place = Ireland | death_date = 5 December {{death year and age|1920|1881}} | death_place = Auckland, New Zealand | batting = | bowling = | role = | club1 = | year1 = | clubnumber1 = | date = 17 June 2016 | source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/37896.html ESPNcricinfo }}

'''William McMath''' (1881 – 5 December 1920) was a New Zealand cricketer. He played three first-class matches for Auckland between 1917 and 1919.<ref name="Bio">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/37896.html |title=William McMath |accessdate=17 June 2016 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref><ref name="SA">{{Cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/22/22461/22461.html |title=William McMath |accessdate=17 June 2016 |work=Cricket Archive}}</ref>

Born in Ireland, McMath moved to New Zealand and lived in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby, where he ran a grocery in Jervois Road and was a prominent member of Ponsonby Cricket Club. He had an unusual bowling action: he started with a few walking steps, quickened to a run for a few steps, then slowed down to a walk again and was practically still when he delivered the ball.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Wellington Cricket |journal=NZ Free Lance |date=8 December 1920 |page=33 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZFL19201208.2.52.1}}</ref>

McMath died in hospital in December 1920 the day after being run over by a tram in Hurstmere Road in the suburb of Takapuna, where he had taken his family for the weekend.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Killed by a Tram |journal=New Zealand Herald |date=6 December 1920 |page=6 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19201206.2.16}}</ref> He left a widow and three young children.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Run over by tram |journal=Dominion |date=6 December 1920 |page=6 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19201206.2.24}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{ESPNcricinfo|id=37896}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McMath, William}} Category:1881 births Category:1920 deaths Category:New Zealand cricketers Category:Auckland cricketers Category:Irish emigrants to New Zealand Category:Road incident deaths in New Zealand