William Walker (Scottish cricketer)

William Norman Walker MC DL JP (23 January 1894 – 14 September 1960) was a Scottish first-class cricketer and cricket administrator, and an officer in the British Army.

Walker was born at Greenock in January 1894 and was educated at The Glasgow Academy.^[1] He served in the British Army during the First World War, being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery in August 1914,^[2] with promotion to lieutenant following in August 1915.^[3] He was awarded the Military Cross in 1917, for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in endeavouring to extinguish blazing ammunition which had been set alight by heavy howitzer shelling.^[4] Walker was made second in command of a battalion in March 1918, at which point he was made an acting captain;^[5] he relinquished his acting rank in August 1918 and ceased to be employed in the army in May 1919.^[6][7] He remained commissioned until September 1922, when he resigned his commission and was granted the rank of captain.^[8]

A club cricketer for Greenock, he made his debut in first-class cricket for Scotland against Ireland at Glasgow in 1922. He played first-class cricket for Scotland until 1925, making six appearances.^[9] Playing as an all-rounder in the Scottish side, Walker scored 200 runs in his six matches at an average of 18.18; he made one half century score of 58.^[10] With his right-arm medium pace bowling, he took 18 wickets at a bowling average of 27.88, with best figures of 4 for 55.^[11]

Walker returned to military service in the Second World War with the Territorial Army.^[12] He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Renfrewshire in July 1945.^[13] Walker was appointed honorary colonel of the 328 Medium Regiment (Highland) in July 1947,^[14] before relinquishing his commission in December of the same year.^[15] Walker served as the president of the Scottish Cricket Union the following year.^[16] He relinquished his appointment as honorary colonel in July 1950.^[17] A justice of the peace for Renfrewshire,^[17] Walker died at Renfrew in September 1960. His brother, John, was also a first-class cricketer. Walker was a direct descendant of Johnnie Walker, the founder of the Scotch whiskey brand of the same name.