Cricket 1906

CR ICKET: a w e e k l y r e c o r d o f t h e g a m e . JAN. 25, 1906. Ji m 1 1 r ^ = = = = £ J t = ifc .. -> — >5 efsrnm “ Together joined in Cricket’ s manly to il.” — Byron. n o . 7 i o . v o i . x x v . THURSDAY, JAN. 25, 1906. p r i c e aa. A CHAT ABOUT MR. V. E. WALKER. There were many great cricketers before the time when Dr. W. G. Grace begin to make his wonderful scores, and it is universally admitted that the greatest of them was Mr. V. E. Walker, whose death at the age of 68 took place on January 2nd. Like Dr. Grace, he did not gain his fame merely because he was a great batsman; he was a magnificent field, and as a lob bowler of parts he more than held his own in days when this class of bowling was at its very best. His fielding to his own bowling is described by those who saw it as marvellous; he backed up a long way and stopped everything which would have gone between an ordinary mid-off and the wicket; he was a brilliant cover-point. He had to bat on bumpy wickets, which furnished plenty of shooters, and he was the best batsman of his time. His lob bowl­ ing was fertile of resource. This estimate of Mr. Walker’s abilities may seem extravagant, but it is an estimate which is strictly in accordance with the deliber­ ate opinions of those who either saw him play or played in his company. His greatest feat has never been surpassed, although as far as actual figures go it has been equalled by Dr. W. G. Grace and Dr. E. M. Grace. In the match of 1859 be­ tween Surrey and England at the Oval, Mr. Walker took all ten wickets in the first innings of Surrey, and in his own second innings scored 108. Dr. W. G. Grace accomplished a similar feat in 1886 for M.C.G. v. Oxford University, and Dr. E. M. Grace in 1862 for M.O.C. v. Gentlemen of Kent, but these were not matches of the highest importance, whereas England v. Surrey was the match of the year. Many old cricketers claim that, fine batsman, bowler and fielder as he was, Mr. Walker was at his greatest as a captain. He seems to have been able to inspire his team with confidence in quite a remarkable way. It was when things were going badly against his side, when catches were being dropped wholesale, when a panic seemed imminent, that his bast qualities came out. Imperturbable himself, he succeeded in impressing others with the necessity of keeping cool, and perhaps one of the secrets of his success as a captain was that, as one of his greatest friends put it, “ Teddy never worried a man.” There are many men who gain an excellent reputation as captains because, with a very strong team to direct, they show skill in conducting a winning game; there are very few indeed whose qualities bring them right to the front when their side is not strong, but Mr. Walker was one of them, possibly the greatest of them all. Even now his friends speak with delight of the resource which he showed at critical moments when a false move or a hesitating policy would have meant disaster. Mr. Walker was the fifth son in a family of twelve, seven of whom were boys. All the brothers were cricketers, and four of them, John, V. E., R. D .( and I. D .( were first-class cricketers in every sense of the expression. To them it was largely due that the Middlesex County C.O. be­ came a power in the land. Their ground at Southgate was known far and wide as one of the best in England, and there was hardly a cricketer of note who never played on it. Matches which to all intents and purposes were first-class were fre­ quently played upon it, and as no charge was made for admission the expense of the upkeep of such a ground must have been very great. Four of the seven brothers, Arthur, Y. E., R. D., and I. D., went to Harrow, and were all in the eleven. Two of the seven, John and Frederick, went to Cam­ bridge and were in the eleven, while R. D. was in the Oxford eleven. Six of the brothers, John, Freder­ ick, A. H., V. E., R. D ., and I. D., represented the Gentlemen against the Players, and some of them would certainly have played for England against Australia if test matches had been fashionable in their times. Unlike many old cricketers, Mr. Walker was not forgotten when he gave up the game, for in one way or another his name was constantly in evidence. He was always elected on the committee of the M.C.C. whenever he was eligible,