Robert Warton (umpire)

Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Gardner Warton (16 January 1847 – 20 September 1923) umpired two Test matches in South Africa in 1889.

Warton was born in Islington and educated at Highgate School. He served in the British Army in Japan and South Africa. He organised the first cricket tour by an English representative team to South Africa in 1888-89. The tour was run as a private venture, and the two matches he umpired which pitted the tourists against a South African side were only recognised as Test matches after the event.

Warton made his debut as a Test match umpire in the 1st Test played between South Africa and England at St George's Park, Port Elizabeth, on 12 and 13 March 1889. This match between representative sides from England and South Africa was later accorded Test status, making it the first Test match played by South Africa. Warton also stood in the 2nd Test between the representative sides, played at Newlands in Cape Town on 25 and 26 March, his final Test as an umpire. Warton stood in the 1st Test with C. R. Deare, whose Test umpiring career was limited to the first day of the 1st Test; he was replaced on the second day by Henry Webster. In the 2nd Test, Warton stood with first-class cricketer John Hickson. The 2nd Test was Hickson's only Test as an umpire.

The 1st Test and 2nd Tests were both scheduled as three-day matches, but play was dominated by England and both were completed within 2 days. Each was played on a matting wicket.

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