Joseph Robert Murrell' (19 November 1879 – 15 August 1952), known as Joe Murrell, was an English cricketer who played over 350 matches, mainly for Middlesex County Cricket Club as a wicket-keeper.[1]

Joe Murrell
Personal information
Full name
Joseph Robert Murrell
Born(1879-11-19)19 November 1879
Hounslow, Middlesex
Died15 August 1952(1952-08-15) (aged 72)
West Wickham, Kent
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1899–1905Kent
1906–1926Middlsex
FC debut26 June 1899 Kent v Nottinghamshire
Last FC1 September 1926 Middlesex v Warwickshire
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 378
Runs scored 6,663
Batting average 14.29
100s/50s 0/24
Top score 96*
Balls bowled 213
Wickets 0
Bowling average
5 wickets in innings
10 wickets in match
Best bowling
Catches/stumpings 565/269
Source: CricInfo, 19 December 2018

Murrell was born at Hounslow in Middlesex.[2] He made his first-class cricket debut for Kent County Cricket Club in 1899 and played for the county until the end of the 1905 season. Kent's wicket-keeper at the time was Fred Huish and Murrell found it difficult to gain a place in the side, only keeping wicket in six of his 27 first-class matches for the county. In 1906 he joined Middlesex and was associated with the club for the next 46 years.[3][4]

Murrell played 342 times for Middlesex in first-class cricket and developed a reputation as "a first-class wicket-keeper" who, when Middlesex won the County Championship in 1920 and 1921, was considered by Wisden as "one of the best of wicket-keepers".[3] He was considered a loyal team-mate whose judgment and advice could be relied upon by Middlesex captain Pelham Warner and in his obituary Wisden considered him unfortunate to have not played for England.[3] As a batsman Murrell was considered "fast-footed" and "could hit extremely hard", although he never scored a century.[2][3]

Over the course of his career, Murrell took 835 dismissals, 564 caught and 271 stumped.[2] After retiring, he was the 1st XI scorer for Middlesex until his death at West Wickham in Kent in 1952 at the age of 72.[2]

He also played football for Woolwich Arsenal. After playing for local sides in Kent and Middlesex, he joined Arsenal in October 1898, making his first-team debut against Small Heath on 31 March 1900. He played mainly as a full back filling in for regulars Jimmy Jackson and David McNichol. He left Arsenal for Clapton Orient in the summer of 1900, having played 6 first-team games for them.

References

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  1. ^ Carlaw D (2020) Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part One: 1806–1914 (revised edition), pp. 398–399. (Available online at the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Retrieved 2020-12-21.)
  2. ^ a b c d Joe Murrell, CricInfo. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  3. ^ a b c d Murrell, Mr Harry Robert, Obituaries in 1952, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1953. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  4. ^ Joe Murrell, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
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Joe Murrell at ESPNcricinfo