William Harbord
W. E. Harbord
ONE OF cricket's marginal and thus slightly mysterious figures, Bill Harbord, who died in Harrogate on July 28, aged 83, emerged from obscurity to give a brief interview to WCM for the November 1990 edition. He was, at that time, one of only two surviving Yorkshire players who had been born outside the county (in Oakham, Rutland, on December 15, 1908), W. G. Keighley being the other. Harbord was an attacking batsman who made one first-class century, 109 for Yorkshire v Oxford University at Oxford in 1930, and carried his bat for 104 not out for Minor Counties against the 1934 Australians at the Oval. William Edward Harbord was educated at Eton and Oxford, scored 512 first-class runs at 18.28, and was employed by John Smith's Tadcaster Brewery, retiring as chairman. He was a surprise choice for MCC's tour of West Indies in 1934-35, acting as 12th man in a couple of Tests and treating himself to a side-trip to Miami mid-tour. He was useful in escorting Bob Wyatt, England's captain, to hospital in Kingston after a fast lifter from Martindale had bloodily shattered his jaw. In 1934 Harbord had toured Egypt with H. M. Martineau's team. For 20 years he was on Yorkshire's committee.
D.F.
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