Roy Kilner - Early Life

Early Life

Kilner was born on 17 October 1890 in Wombwell, Barnsley, Yorkshire, England, the second son and one of eleven children of Seth Kilner and Mary Alice Washington. The Kilners attended Wombwell Parish Church and the boys were members of the Church Lads' Brigade. His father and his uncle, Irving Washington, the former Yorkshire cricketer, encouraged him to play the sport from an early age. Displaying ability, Kilner played for the local colliery team, Mitchell Main. His brother, Norman also played cricket, representing Yorkshire and later Warwickshire.

In 1904, aged 14, Kilner first played for the Mitchell Main first team, appearing in two games without success. Although selected regularly from the 1905 season, Kilner usually failed when batting. He displayed aggression, attempting too many difficult shots and losing his wicket. His bowling was more effective but used infrequently. It was not until the 1909 season that his batting developed. He scored his first century for the team and began to make consistently good scores, attracting the attention of Yorkshire.