William ("Mickey") Roche (born 20 July 1871, Brunswick, Victoria, Australia; died 2 January 1950, East Brunswick, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) was an Australian cricketer who played in Australia and England.
Mickey (also known as Micky) Roche was an off-spinner and useful lower-order right-handed batsman who represented Victoria between 1895 and 1898. He also served Middlesex as a professional from 1897 and 1900. His best season was in 1899 when he took 60 wickets (which included 7 for 103 versus Lancashire). Whilst batting at number 11, he scored 74 not out versus Kent, adding a county record stand of 230 for the 10th wicket with Richard Nicholls. He notably only had two fingers and a thumb on his bowling hand.
Roche also played for the Melbourne Football Club between 1893 and 1895. In June 1895 he kicked six goals in a game, the most by any Melbourne played in the Victorian Football Association competition.
See also
References
- "SPORT SAYINGS AND DOINGS CRICKET CURIOSITIES: Two-Fingered Bowler". The Sun. Sydney, NSW. 28 February 1930. p. 8. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
External links
- Cricket Archive profile
- ESPN cricinfo profile
- Mick Roche on Demonwiki
  | This biographical article related to an Australian cricket person born in the 1870s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
 | This Australian rules football biography of a person born in the 1870s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 1871 births
- 1950 deaths
- Australian cricketers
- Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers
- Middlesex cricketers
- Victoria cricketers
- Australian rules footballers from Melbourne
- Melbourne Football Club (VFA) players
- A. J. Webbe's XI cricketers
- People from Brunswick, Victoria
- Cricketers from Melbourne
- Australian cricket biography, 1870s birth stubs
- Australian rules biography, 1870s birth stubs