All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

56 Harry Pickett Essex v Leicestershire, 1895 County Championship County Ground, Leyton on 3, 4, 5 June 1895 (3-day match) Leicestershire won by 75 runs Umpires: W Clements, H Draper Leicestershire 111 (H Pickett 10-32) and 190 (CJ Kortright 8-63); Essex 103 (AD Pougher 5-29, A Woodcock 5-53) and 123 (A Woodcock 7-62) Leicestershire first innings M Chapman b Pickett 14 J Holland c Russell b Pickett 1 W Tomlin b Pickett 9 AD Pougher c Russell b Pickett 10 CC Stone b Pickett 0 *CE de Trafford c Kortright b Pickett 29 F Geeson c Mead b Pickett 4 D Lorimer b Pickett 0 A Woodcock b Pickett 20 JH King not out 12 +JP Whiteside b Pickett 7 Extras (lb 5) 5 Total (all out, 54 overs) 111 Fall of wickets 1-2, 2-16, 3-18, 4-35, 5-67, 6-71, 7-71, 8-76, 9-99, 10-111 Essex bowling : W Mead 21-4-50-0, H Pickett 27-11-32-10, CJ Kortright 6-2-24-0 Essex: HGP Owen (capt), HA Carpenter, GF Higgins, CP McGahey, H Hailey, AP Lucas, J Burns, TM Russell (wk), CJ Kortright, W Mead, H Pickett Henry (Harry) Pickett took 114 wickets for Essex in 52 first-class appearances, a modest haul. However, in a career which lasted from 1881 until 1897, in all matches for Essex (which only became a first-class county in 1894) he took over 700 wickets. Stocky and of average height he bowled fast-medium off a short 12-step run-up. He was a significant figure in the formative years of the county club. The official history says that ‘he symbolises all that became good in Essex cricket. He was the honest workman, the bread-and-butter cricketer upon whom success is founded’. And a major county record that is going to be very difficult to beat still stands to his name. Pickett was born in Stratford, Essex (now part of Greater London) in 1862. His performances for local clubs soon brought him to the attention of the county and he made his debut for them in 1881. He quickly became established, and his success also led to his engagement by MCC, for whom he made his first-class debut at Lord’s against Sussex in 1884. Just a word about Pickett’s batting. In 94 first-class innings he averaged just over eight (an average inflated by a high number of not outs). However,