The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Midwinter, William
Midwinter, William, the well-known cricketer, was born in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, on June 19th, 1852, and went to Australia when an infant with his parents, and learnt his cricket at Bendigo, Vict., being for several years a prominent member of the Bendigo United Cricket Club. He played for Victoria against New South Wales in nine intercolonial matches, commencing in 1875 and ending in 1887, his batting average in those matches for 17 innings being 20.53 runs per innings, and he bowled 1,956 balls, taking 32 wickets at an average cost of 16.81 runs per wicket. In 1877 Midwinter went to England, and was immediately engaged by the Gloucestershire county club, for whom he did yeoman service with both bat and ball, and was also a prominent member of W. G. Grace's famous and successful United South of England eleven. On the arrival of Gregory's Australian eleven in the old country in 1878 Midwinter joined them, but after he had taken part in the first five matches he was compelled to sever his connection with the Australian team on account of his previous English engagement. In 1880 he returned to Australia for a trip, but went back to England, and his next visit to the colonies was as a member of Shaw and Shrewsbury's English eleven in 1881-82. He subsequently revisited England as a member of Murdoch's Australian eleven in 1884, and after returning to Melbourne was the lessee of various hotels in the city and suburbs. He died at the Kew Asylum, near Melbourne, on Dec. 3rd, 1890.