William Bedster (1734 – 1805) was an English cricketer who played during the late 18th century.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1734 Walberton, Chichester, Sussex |
| Died | 1805 (aged 70–71) |
| Domestic team information | |
| Years | Team |
| 1777–1792 | England XI |
| FC debut | 8 September 1777 England v Hampshire XI |
| Last FC | 13 August 1794 MCC v Oldfield |
Source: CricInfo, 23 June 2022 | |
Bedster was born in 1734 at Walberton near Chichester in Sussex.[1][2] He made his first appearance in first-class cricket in 1777, playing in an England side[a] against a Hampshire XI. In a career which lasted until 1794 he played in 59 matches which have been given first-class status, scoring 1,335 runs and taking at least 26 wickets.[b] He played for a wide variety of sides, appearing most frequently for England and Middlesex sides in first-class matches.[2]
Bedster was employed as a butler for five years by Charles Bennet, 4th Earl of Tankerville at his Mount Felix estate at Walton-on-Thames.[5][6][7] During this time he played for Chertsey Cricket Club.[8] He was frequently used as a given man by other sides. After his playing career was over, Bedster moved to Chelsea where he was an innkeeper.[5] He died in 1805.[1][2] A road in Molesey in Surrey is named after him.[5]