Ashley Walker holds a very special place in the history of both Welsh cricket, as well as Sri Lankan cricket in that he captained one of the teams that took part in the inaugural match in 1875 at St. Helen’s in Swansea – the first purpose-built cricket ground in Wales – before the following year emigrating to work in Sri Lanka where the mathematics teacher and Housemaster at Royal College, Colombo became known as ‘the father of Ceylon Cricket’ for initiating the first-ever cricket Royal-Thomian inter-school encounter which has subsequently become one of the most important matches on the island.
Born at Bolling Hall, Bradford in 1844 he was the son of William Walker, a prominent Magistartate in South Yorkshire and the godson of Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper, the 7th Earl of Shaftsbury. He attended Westminster School where he won a place in the eleven in 1860 as a sound right-handed batter and a slow round-arm bowler. He went up to Cambridge in 1862, initially to Trinity College before switching to Magdalene in 1863 – the year when Ashley also made his first-class debut by playing for Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.
This was the first of nine appearances he made for the White Roses until 1870 by which time the amateur had focused on his career as a schoolmaster. He had also enjoyed a decent time playing for Cambridge for whom he won a Blue in 1864 – a season which saw him make 83 for the University’s 1st XI against the Next XVIII, as well as 53 in the game with the MCC. The following year he also made 65 against the MCC, plus 99 against the Free Foresters and 56 against Surrey. His final first-class appearance was in September 1870 when he played for the North against the South at Dewsbury.
After coming down, he initially secured a teaching appointment at Cranleigh and in 1870, the mathematics graduate struck 148 for the school against St. John’s College, Hurstpierpoint, besides taking 8/41 for the Masters’ XI against the School. He subsequently worked in Staffordshire and claimed an eight-wicket haul for the Gentlemen of Staffordshire against Incogniti at Stoke-on-Trent, before taking up a position as Assistant Head at Swansea Grammar School in the Autumn of 1873.
His move to South Wales was a fortuitous one both for the town’s club, and the South Wales Cricket Club, with the Yorkshireman soon becoming a leading batter with the town club, as well as rising to the position of the club’s captain in 1874 and two years later playing in the inaugural match at their new ground at St. Helen’s. He top-scored with 34 and took four wickets in the match, but it was in a losing cause as Charlie Chambers’ XI won by ten runs. His contacts in the cricketing world were also invaluable as the club arranged a series of fund-raising games to further improve the facilities at the ground on the foreshore of Swansea Bay, with Ashley featuring in a match against the United South of England who were led by Dr. WG Grace.
Ashley had also become a member of the South Wales Cricket Club and featured on their London tours in both 1875 and 1876, scoring 82 and 50 in the match in the former year against Surrey Club and Ground at The Oval, followed the next year by innings of 81 against the MCC at Lord’s as well 83 again at The Oval. He also made 53 for the Gentlemen of West Glamorgan against their counterparts from the East at Merthyr Mawr House in 1875.
Whilst in Swansea, Ashley also met Rachael Eveline Ely Strick, the daughter of Edward Strick, a well-known solicitor in the town who lived at Brunswick Villas, a short distance from the St. Helen’s ground and near their former base at Brunswick Field, off St. Helen’s Road. The couple were married on 28 September 1876 and duly raised four daughters – Lilian, Violet, Helen and Alice – all of whom were born in Sri Lanka following a decision by Ashley to take up a position as a teacher of Mathematics and Housemaster at the Colombo Academy, later known as the Royal College, which was the first public school on the island and known as ‘The Eton of Ceylon’.
He left Swansea on 4 October 1876 and before his departure he received a presentation of a travelling dressing-case from members of Swansea CC in addition to a vellum-bound photographic album by JTD Llewelyn on behalf of the South Wales CC with the cover of the gift bearing the words “as a token of his brilliant batting and good fellowship”.
Ashley also taught cricket at the Royal College and was responsible for the first match against their rivals St. Thomas’ College in 1879 – a challenge which, owing to the colours of the two school’s flags has been known as ‘The Battle of the Blues’. A former pupil recalled how Ashley regarded cricket as an aristocratic game and was at pains to ensure that his charges played the game in the right manner – “Mr. Walker would often tell us boys that we had every reason to be proud of our country and nation. He made us feel in our aptitude for cricket that we were the salt of the earth and took every means to foster that idea.”
He also organized a team of emigrants and in 1881 was instrumental in organizing the inaugural match between the Europeans and the Ceylonese. In 1884 he also featured in the All-Ceylon XVIII which met Billy Murdoch’s Australian side. By this time, Ashley was also Acting Inspector of Schools on the island, a position he had taken in 1879, and between 1890 and 1901, the Yorkshireman acted as Principal Inspector, and no doubt helped to advise about introducing cricket in other educational establishments. It is therefore no surprise that Sri Lankan historians refer to Ashley as ‘The Father of Ceylon Cricket’.
After retiring from teaching and working for the Ceylonese Civil Service as an Inspector of Schools, Asley and his family moved back to the UK. They had held property in Penge whilst living overseas, and on returning lived as well in Battersea and Wandsworth, in addition to spending some time in St. Helier on Jersey. After the Great War, Ashley resided in Westminster before moving to Buckinghamshire and it was here in May 1927 that he passed away after a very full life.
WALKER, Ashley
Born – Bradford, 22 June 1844.
Died – Harrold, Bedfordshire, 26 May 1927.