Cricket 1884

483 CRICKET; A WEEKLY RECOED OF THE GAME. d e c . 25, mm. had been unsuccessful from 1850 to 1868. Exactly a month later (on Aug. 11, 1862), Mr. Walker made his first appearauce for Middlesex at the Oral against a very strong team of the Surrey Club and with signal success. He was then only eighteen, but in the second innings he did a fine performance against the bowling of Mr. F. P. Miller, Griffith, Lockyer, Humphrey and Mortlock, scoring in conjunction with his brother, E. I)., 109 before tho first wicket fell and remaining himself until 258 had been made, of which he contributed 102 without a chance. The tables given herewith furnish a complete summary of Mr. Walker’s per­ formances since he made his first appearance in important cricket twenty-two years ago. They have been compiled with the greatest care, and we have every reason to believe are strictly accurate. This exhaustive analy­ sis, while presenting an interesting record »f a long and honourable career upon the cricket field, precludes also the necessity of anything but a passing glance at some of Mr. Walker’s most conspicuous achievements. The matches in which Middlesex elevens figured prior to 1864 were few and far between. They consisted principally of friendly games with Surrey, and the arrange­ ments on the Middlesex side were mostly carried out under the personal auspices of Mr. John Walker. In 1863 only two fixtures were brought off, at Lord’s and the Oval, and in the one of which Mr. I. D. partici­ pated, on the Surrey ground, for the benefit of Tom Sewell, he was not fortunate enough to secure a notch. The inauguration of the Middlesex County Club on a proper basis took place at a meeting held at the London Tavern, on Dec.. 15, 1863, and the following season saw its head-quarters established close to the Islington Cattle Market. Its first fixture was between Gentlemen and Fourteen Colts of the County on May 5 and 6, and in that match, which singularly enough ended in a tie, Mr, I. D. Walker was chief scorer for the Gentlemen with forty- four and fifteen. Four of the brothers, John, Y. ii., E. D., and I. D., represented Middlesex at Newport Pagnell, on June 2, in the first County match, against Bucks, organised by the new Club, but the best work was done by V. E., whose extraordinary feat in the match between England and Surrey, at the Oval in 1859, when he scored 20 not out and 108, and took all ten wickets in the innings of Surrey, will still be re­ membered, and he was credited with ten of the Buckinghamshire wickets. Mr. I. D. Walker’s career as a first-class cricketer may, however, be said to have practically com­ menced in 1865, and it was in this year that he made his debut against the Players, representing the Gentlemen both at Lord’s and the Oval. About this time he identified himself very actively with the Surrey Club, and most of his highest innings were obtained under the shadow of Kennington Church. His aggregate in first- class matches in 1865 was, as will be seen, 621, for twenty-two innings, and one of his best performances was his 91, at the Oval, for the Gentlemen against the Players of the South, a fixture iu which he has always taken the warmest interest. In 1866 he was not quite so successful, but in the two following seasons he was in really brilliant form with tbe bat, and, indeed, since that time he has occupied a very front position as one of the best all-round cricketers of the time. In 1867 it is said thatkhe scored nearly 1,500 runs, mostly in the great matches, aud in 1868 he was even more successful. His innings of 165 for the Gentlemen against the Players, at the Oval, was a very fine exhibition of offensive and defensive cricket, and his brilliant display, which contained only one chance towards the close, had very much to do with the victory of the Amateurs. This, though, was only one of many noteworthy performances, and among others may be instanced his second score of 66 not out, against Surrey, at Islington, and his 86 not out (in a total of 142 from the bat,) for the Gentlemen against the Players of the South, at the Oval. His first innings of 71 for the Gentlemen, at Lord’s, in 1869, contributed too, in no small measure, to their bare victory of three wickets against the Players. In the same match at the Oval, won after a most exciting finish by the Gentlemen, with only seven­ teen runs to spare, he was second highest scorer, with two capital innings of 52 and 31, and, again, on the Surrey ground, for the Gentlemen against the Players of the South, in the memorable match when Messrs. W. G. Grace and B. B. Cooper made 283 for the first wicket of the Gentlemen, he con­ tributed 90 to the Amateurs’ total of 553, his best score of the year. Middlesex, ousted by the builder from its ground at the Cattle Market, had no local habitation in 1869, and though it temporarily occupied Lillie Bridge for the two following years, the ground was so bad that in 1870 both matches with Surrey were played at the Oval, and altogether its cricket met with a material interruption. During these three years, though, Mr.Walker was none the less busily occupied with first- class cricket, and 1870 indeed, was the most successful season he has ever had. For the Gentlemen of the South against the North at Beeston, he was in his first innings batting for six hours and a half, and Mr. G. F. Grace and he while they were together added as many as 288 runs. In 1871 his averaga was not quite so good, but several of his innings in first class matches were worthy of special note, particularly his first score of sixty-seven at the Oval for the Gentlemen against the Players in that very exciting match, won for the Gentlemen by the brilliant hitting of Mr. C. E. Green three minutes before time. During the five years, from 1872 to 1876, in which Middlesex had its head quarters at Prince’s, Mr. Walker was its most successful Captain, although in 1874 and 1875 he was not altogether as fortunate,in run-getting at least, in first class cricket. Up to 1877 he was rarely absent from any of the matches be­ tween the Gentlemen and Players but since that time he has not appeared so often as could be wished in the more important contests. It was mainly through his personal influence, though, that the English team which visited Australia at the end of 1878 was collected,and he would have captained it instead of Lord Harris but for a domestic bereavement which compelled him to forego the trip. During the last few years Mr. Walker's services have been almost exclusively devoted to the interests of Middlesex cricket. How valuable those services have been it needs no words of ours to express, they are written indelibly on the hearts of cricketers, his deeds truly have raised for him a monument cere perennius. As a batsman, after a career of over twenty years with the Middlesex Club, he is still almost if not quite a3 good as ever. To prove this requires no stronger evidence than the brilliant cricket he showed in 1883 and 1884, and it may be noted that the best per­ formance ever recorded to him was achieved in the former year, when with the Hon Alfred Lyttelton he helped to put on 324 runs for Middlesex against Gloucestershire at Clifton, the longest stand ever made by two batsmen in a first class match. Mr. Walker has just resigned the Captaincy of the Middlesex eleven, which he has so -worthily filled for more than ten years, to the universal regret of all who know the incalculable influence he has been able to bear on the development of county cricket. It will not, we feel sure, be taken as any reflection or disparagement on his successors if we ex­ press an opinion that they will experience a difficulty in following one so well fitted for the management of a team constituted as has been that of Middlesex of late years. Mr. John Walker, we believe, took part in the first match ever played by Middlesex, and it will indeed be strange to find the family w!thout a representative in the county elevens. Mr. I. D. Walker, like hii brother V. E., is one of the most able tacticians modern cricket has produced. He is a thorough judge of the game, well versed in everything appertaining to it, and has all the best qualities of a captain, never losing his head, and inspiring the greatest con­ fidence in his men. As a batsman there are very few better even now. Making the most use 'if his height, he stands up fearlessly to the fastest bowling, and until recently, and then on very exceptional occasions, alto­ gether discarded the protection of pads. His defence is very good, and his hitting, particularly on the offside, brilliant: as good indeed as any we have ever seen. In the field he is certainly without a superior. As he covered a great deal of ground, he was very good at long leg or cover point, but his favourite position has been at mid-off, andin that he is still unequalled, being an unerring cateh. Though of late he has hardly tried his hand enough, he is too a very good lob bowler, and only last summer for Middlesex against Gloucestershire at Lord’s he secured ten wickets at a cost of but 52 runs. Of late years Mr. Walker has been untiring in his efforts to improve Harrow cricket, and Harrow has good reason to associate him with the Earl of Bessborough and the late Hon. Robert Grimston as one of the benefactors of the School. The success which has attended the Harrow Wanderers too has been mainly due to his personal in­ fluence and untiring energy. Mr. Walker is now on a tour through the Australian Colonies. Our portrait is from a photograph by Elliot and Fry, of Baker Street. Summary of County Matches in which Mr- I. D. Walker played from 1862 to 1884— Against. W on. Lost. Drawn. Surrey . . .. 20 .. 14 . . 7* Yorkshire . • G . . 13 . . 7 Nottingham 2 . . 11 . . 13 Gloucester 4 . . 2 . . 6 Lancashire . . 3 .. 3 . . 1 Kent 6 . . 1 . . 0 Sussex . . . . 2 . . 2 . . 0 Hampshire .. 3 . . 0 . . 0 C am bridgeshire.. 1 . . 1 . . 0 Buckingham shire 1 . . 0 . . 1 130 Matches. 48 47 35 * Two ties. Average in First-class Matches— Inns. Rnns. Arer. 1865 .. .. 22 .. 621 . . £8.5 1866 .. . . 24 .. 436 . . 18.4 1867 .. . . 22 .. 522 . . 23.16 1868 .. .. 21 . . 661 . . 31.10 1869 .. .. 18 .. 540 . . 30 1870 .. .. 22 .. 820 . . 37.6 1871 .. .. 24 .. 594 . . 24.18 1872 .. .. 20 .. 363 . . 18.3 1873.. .. 17 .. 587 . . 34.9 1874 .. .. 31 .. 583 . . 18.25 1875.. .. 26 .. 508 . . 19.14 Next issue o f Cricket Jan- 29-