| William Abel | |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Bowling: | Right-arm fast medium |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | First-class |
| Matches1: | 171 |
| Runs1: | 4,988 |
| Bat Avg1: | 22.98 |
| 100S/50S1: | 1/25 |
| Top Score1: | 117 |
| Deliveries1: | 10,603 |
| Wickets1: | 186 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 30.93 |
| Fivefor1: | 3 |
| Tenfor1: | 0 |
| Best Bowling1: | 5/28 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 146/– |
| Source: | https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/27/27392/27392.html CricketArchive |
| Date: | 17 April |
| Year: | 2020 |
William John Abel (29 August 1887 – 23 March 1934) was a first-class cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club making his debut in 1909. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm bowler. He was born in South Bermondsey and died in Stockwell, London. His brother Tom Abel and father, the England and Surrey batsman Bobby Abel, were also first-class cricketers.[1] [2] [3]
His last appearance in the County team was in 1926 and, after a few games with the Second Eleven, he joined Accrington, the Lancashire League Club. A batsman of the unorthodox school, Abel was a pleasing, forcing player and, even though he never gained the distinction of obtaining a century in County Championship matches, he put together many useful scores. Abel won his Surrey cap in 1910 and scored his only first-class hundred, 117, against Cambridge University in 1923.[4] He took five wickets in an innings three times, with a best of 5 for 28 against Middlesex.[1]
His best season was 1923 when he had an aggregate of 957, while in 1914—when Surrey won the County Championship—he hit up 524 runs in sixteen County games with a highest score of 87. As a bowler, Abel began as fast-medium, but lessening his pace he exploited the leg-break and the googly. In his most successful season as a bowler 1919, he took thirty-seven wickets. He was a first-rate slip fielder. After serving in the First World War, Abel did not enjoy good health.