All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

19 Edward Walker during Lancashire’s innings had been done by fast left-arm bowler George Howitt who was from Nottinghamshire and a cousin of future England player William Scotton. On his first-class debut he had provided an ideal economic foil to Walker’s more tempting fare. Walker had also been well supported by wicketkeeper Morley who, as well as his two stumpings, had conceded just one bye in two innings lasting 209 overs. Anthony Wilkinson, who had made a first-innings 59, was absent for the Middlesex second innings and they never looked like getting close to their target of 179. V.E. (29) and Russell Walker (28) were the only real contributors as Iddison and Reynolds worked their way through their batting. Walker only took 12 other wickets in 1865, mainly because he bowled relatively little, and when he did generally met with very limited success. This pattern seemed to continue for the rest of his career. However, he finished on a high: in his penultimate match, aged 40, he took five for 62 in the Nottinghamshire first innings at Lord’s in July 1877 before signing off at Trent Bridge the following month with a career total of 334 wickets at 16 runs apiece and 3,384 runs at an average of 17. Walker was later president of MCC and of Middlesex County Cricket Club. A regular attender at Lord’s till the end, he died in 1906 aged 69 leaving Russell the only surviving brother.