All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

16 Edward Walker a faster ball was on the way. These skills he supplemented with athletic fielding, particularly to his own bowling. The openers, including Surrey captain Frederick Miller, the season’s second highest run-scorer, who was caught at point, went quickly. Two more Fredericks, Burbidge and Caesar (older brother of the more famous Julius), then took the score to 39, at which point Walker took three wickets in an over. Burbidge and Caffyn were both stumped by Yorkshireman Edwin Stephenson who was not related to Walker’s next victim Heathfield Stephenson. Seventy for six at the close, Surrey quickly lost two more wickets next morning. The more famous Caesar, one of the best batsmen of his day, having come in surprisingly late at number nine, was then joined by renowned hitter George Griffith and they put on 49 before Griffith joined Stephenson and Lockyer in being caught at long on. Both Caesar and Griffith would die before the age of fifty. Walker having taken nine wickets, Caesar was missed off his bowling, but fortunately no harm was done as John Wisden caught William Martingell at mid on soon after to end the innings at half past two. Walker had bowled unchanged for 43 overs. Jackson toiled unsuccessfully for 36 overs at the other end. As he was the season’s leading wicket-taker with 83 wickets it was a rare failure. Wisden who took 39 inexpensive wickets during the season was still a useful bowler and it is therefore perhaps surprising that he wasn’t given a few overs at least to provide some rest to the main bowlers. (Although of course as he was getting wickets steadily Walker probably wasn’t likely to take himself off!) Having stood for Wisden’s all-ten Alfred Diver, a member of the England team, had now played in a match in which an all-ten had been taken. England wasted no time in building on their small lead. By close of play they were 281 for six with Walker, who had made an undefeated 20 in his first innings, 57 not out. The Laws at the time made no provision for declaring and so next day England kept going, Walker eventually being stumped by Lockyer off the medium-pace bowling of William Martingell for 108, comfortably passing his previous highest score of 51. It was the only century of Walker’s career, and one of only three made in the season. England’s 390 was easily the highest score of the season: in 30 first-class matches 300 was reached just three times, The Oval being the venue on each occasion. Set 432 to win (and starting their innings at 4.30 on the last day!) Surrey capitulated completely in bad light and were dismissed for 39 in 80 minutes. After his first-innings failure Jackson redeemed himself by taking six for 21, whilst at the other end Walker took four for 17 in 15 overs, finishing the match by catching Martingell off his own bowling. Surrey were perhaps unlucky not to be saved by the weather on the final day since, because of rain, no play was possible at all at nearby Lord’s (Eleven Gentlemen of I Zingari v 22 Gentlemen of the Houses of Lord’s and Commons!). Strangely, although Walker made two more fifties in 1859, after that he went another six seasons and 53 matches before scoring another, but then made up for this by scoring six in 1866.