All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

46 George Burton Oxford University against them. Together with Hylton Philipson (150) he had posted 340 for the seventh wicket, a then-world record partnership for any wicket. Walter Read topped the season’s averages and had made 338 against Oxford University the previous month, but he didn’t last long against Burton, going to one of four catches at slip by James Robertson (another Scot). The stars having departed Surrey would have been bowled out for a lot less if it hadn’t been for Charles Trouncer who went in at 105 for seven and put on 51 with Key. The least accomplished member of the side, in a nine-match career he would never get past 30 or take a wicket. Burton completed his all-ten by inflicting a duck upon fast bowler George Jones who was playing the last of his 162 first-class innings. The Surrey innings closed at 2 o’clock with a lead of just two runs. Burton had bowled virtually unchanged for 52.3 overs. His figures were a county record which stood until 1900 when it was broken by Albert Trott. The county amateurs later commemorated Burton’s feat by presenting him with an inkstand and candlesticks. Conditions remained difficult and second time around Middlesex could make nothing of George Lohmann (seven for 32). They were not alone: the great bowler was to take 209 wickets in the season at a cost of 10.90 each, and go on to take over 200 in each of the following two years. Surrey needed only 52 to win, not a straightforward task given the conditions, but with Abel and Shuter taking the score to 16 without loss it was starting to look easy. However once they were separated the middle order collapsed against Burton and fast round-armer Robertson who bowled unchanged for forty overs, taking three wickets each (Key was run out), before the home side just made it. Burton was in a purple patch. Having set the Middlesex innings bowling record, in his next game he took sixteen for 114 against Yorkshire at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, to set the match bowling record (which he jointly holds with J.T. Hearne). This is one of the longest-standing county records; only the Derbyshire record, set in 1876, goes back further. Wisden again went overboard in reporting Burton’s great feat: ‘Middlesex won by six wickets, thanks chiefly to Burton and Mr O’Brien’. (In a low scoring match T.C. O’Brien scored 27 and 79 not out.) After his 1888 zenith, Burton’s returns diminished and he lost his place in the Middlesex team at the beginning of 1891 as Yorkshireman John Rawlin and the great J.T. Hearne came to the fore. He remained a member of the MCC groundstaff until 1906, and was awarded two benefit matches. He also stood as a first-class umpire in a number of matches, was scorer for the county (and in the 1921 Test at Lord’s), coached at Mill Hill School, and was honorary secretary to the Cricketers’ Fund Friendly Society until his death at Covent Garden, London aged 79 in 1930.