Cricket 1883

“ Together joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— B y r o n . Registered?orT*rauamia^on^Abroad. THURSDAY , NOVEMBER 29, 1883. P R I C E 2d, J OHN M A U R I C E R E A D . Few professional cricketers can claim to have attained tlie topmost rung of the ladder after so short an apprenticeship as the young player whose portrait we give here­ with. It would not be difficult to adduce instances of equal promise, but, taking into consideration his early training and the conditions un­ der which he was introduced to first- class cricket, the distinguished posi­ tion occupied at the present time by Maurice Read, as he is usually termed, is unique. The supporters of Surrey, too, are justified in a feel­ ing of satisfaction that his cricket is essentially of native growth and cul­ tivation. He was born at Thames Ditton, on Feb. 9, 1859, and it was on the village green there that he learned at least the rudiments of the game. The year 1871 found him at school, in Overton, Hampshire, and during the two seasons he remained there, in addition to the ordinary school matches, he was chosen to represent an Eleven of Hants against an Eleven of Berkshire, the players in each case being under seventeen years of age. His first appearance for Thames Ditton was in 1874, against Addlestone, and though then only fifteen he did sterling service, scoring sixty-four runs and bowling seven wickets. His promise had been dulymade known to the author­ ities at the Oval some little time be­ fore he made his debut for Surrey, but it was not until the year 1880 that he became identified with tho County. His first appearance was in the Colts’ Match, at the Oval, on May 17, 1880, and his success was unqualified, as he not only played two fine innings of 57 and 39 not cut, but in addition was credited with eleven wickets at a cost of only fifty-one runs. Seven days later, for the Surrey I'oits Against the Kent Colts, at the Oval, he again showed very promising all-round cricket, and the end of the same week witnessed his delut for the County, at Lord’s, against Middle­ sex. Though his bowling on that occasion was rather heavily punished he played a very credit­ able innings of seventeen, and his form then gave such satisfaction that he has never since been an absentee from a County match. It was not long before he began to show remarkable ability, and his first noteworthy score of 57, against Sussex, at Brighton, was followed by even a better display at the end of the same jweek at Cheltenham, where he got sixty-eight |against Gloucestershire, by cricket of the highest merit. The result of his twenty- three innings for Surrey, in 1880, was an aggregate of 355 runs for an average of over 16 runs, and with every sign of a still further advance in his all-round play, not a few good judges were even then ready to pre­ dict for him a brilliant career. Twenty-seven innings,the most ofany batsman in the County, represented his work for Surrey, in 1881, and he was again successful, his best innings being 81, against Kent, at Maid­ stone, and 62 against Yorkshire, at the Oval. His extraordinary cricket during the following season of 1882 especially against the Australian Team, will still be vividly remem­ bered. It was the determined stand he made with Barnes for the Players which conduced to the defeat of the Colonials, one of the four reverses they suffered during their lengthy and heavy tour. On that occasion the two professionals put on 159 runs, and the plucky pl&y of Read, whose 130 was the highest score made against the Australians, was so heartily appreciated that a sum of nearly fifty pounds was col­ lected for him on the ground. A Surrey match prevented his appear­ ance for the Players against the Gentlemen, at Lord’s, but in the same match, at the Oval, he showed good cricket, especially in the second innings. His success against the Australians for the Players led to his unanimous selection as one of the Eleven to represent England against Murdoch’s Team, at the Oval, and his first score of nineteen, not out, was one of the best on the English side in that memorable match. He was not in quite the best health last summer, but at times his cricket was brilliant, and all­ round he was certainly one of the best profes­ sional players of the year. Owing to County Next Number of CRICKET will be published Thursday, December 27.