All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

18 Edward Walker Lancashire played just two matches in 1865, both against Middlesex. Although they won the first, fielding a weakened side they lost the return at the Cattle Market Ground, Islington. Middlesex had a decent record in 1865, losing just once as against three victories, one of which was against the strong Surrey team. Eight of the Lancashire side at Old Trafford were amateurs, three of whom were making their first-class debuts. This reliance on amateurs could cause selection problems during the early years because they were keen to play at Old Trafford but less willing to travel away. The three professionals were the prominent Yorkshire allrounder Roger Iddison who had been in dispute with his county and was making his debut for their red rose rivals; wicketkeeper William Perry, playing in the last first-class match of a two-match career; and Frederick Reynolds who later became assistant secretary and then general manager of the Old Trafford ground, a position he held until 1908 when he retired aged 74. Reynolds also produced a three-volume work recording the scores of all Lancashire matches from 1864 to 1883. As it was still in the country and therefore fairly inaccessible, Old Trafford initially had problems attracting good crowds. Amateurs had the use of a spacious dressing-room in the pavilion while the professionals changed in a small shed on the opposite side of the ground. Oddly, although Lancashire scored 243 in the first innings at Old Trafford, a score that Middlesex exactly equalled, Walker did not bowl (although he took a catch). Brother Russell had top scored for Middlesex with 84 whilst V.E. had been caught and bowled by Reynolds without scoring. First-class debutants Samuel Swire and Frederick Crooke gave Lancashire’s second innings a useful start, but after Walker bowled Swire and James Morley made the first, and penultimate, stumping of a one-match first- class career, the middle order collapsed. From 67 for six however they were revived by a seventh wicket partnership of 68 between Edwin Whittaker and Alexander Rowley (later to be stepfather of Lancashire great Archie MacLaren). Rowley would eventually make three fifties in a 31-match career. In 14 matches Whittaker would never improve on his 39 but he did however do a great service to Lancashire cricket by paying to have Old Trafford properly fenced and enclosed. Walker had had to sweat again for his last wicket. Having caught and bowled wicketkeeper Perry for a duck for his ninth wicket, he must have been pleased to see a man coming in last who in a 65-match career would never get near fifty. However Reynolds stuck around long enough to see Rowley to his fifty and the score increase by 33 before brother Russell’s brilliant one-handed catch over his head gave Walker his second all- ten. Two of Walker’s victims were caught and bowled; a very proactive fielder to his own bowling, over his career one in seven of his wickets fell this way. This is, for example, double the rate achieved in another era by another fine fielder to his own bowling, Tony Lock (an imperfect comparison in many ways but still of value in putting Walker’s fielding in some perspective). Walker had completed his second all-ten exactly five years to the day since his first. Most of the bowling at the other end