Robert Popham Spurway (16 July 1866 – 4 December 1898) was an English cricketer who made 20 first-class appearances for Natal and Somerset County Cricket Club.[1] He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off break bowler. His best season was in 1894, when he played six times, scoring 223 at an average of 24.77.
Spurway made his first-class debut for Natal in 1889, but had been playing cricket in South Africa for a number of years prior to that.[8][2] He appeared in a number of matches for Cape Town Wanderers, and faced RG Warton's XI in 1889, the first cricket tour by an English representative team to South Africa. His debut in first-class cricket came in December 1889 against Port Elizabeth, in which he made a half-century in the first innings, top-scoring for his side with 56.[9] He missed his next of four first-class matches, being absent with illness, and appeared twice more in first-class matches for Natal after that.[8]
He made his debut for Somerset in 1893, and reached his second half-century during that season, scoring 55 against Lancashire from number three.[10] His best year in first-class cricket was 1894, when in six appearances he scored 223 runs at an average of 24.77.[11] During this season, he scored his only first-class century, remaining 108 not out in Somerset's first innings against Gloucestershire, helping his side to a six wicket victory.[12] He appeared irregularly after that season, playing twice in 1895 and once in 1898, his final first-class appearance being marked by him scoring a pair.[13]
The Spurway family had close connections with Somerset County Cricket Club; Robert's father was noted in his Wisden Cricketers' Almanack obituary as being "a well-known member" of the club,[14] while his brother, Edward Spurway and two of his brother's sons, Francis Edward and Michael Vyvyan played first-class cricket for the county.[15]