Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

98 later in 1894, played no first-class matches, and that of 1901, while playing the counties in first-class fixtures, had no aspiration to anything like Test matches. The Cricket Quarterly argued strongly that South African matches before 1907 should be disregarded in Test match records. Bill Frindall, on the other hand, took the view that the status of those early matches had been sanctified by time. 172 The tour had its trials and tribulations, though was not without its lighter side, as J.J.Ferris recalls in his chat with W.A.Bettesworth. Did you enjoy your tour with Mr. WW Read’s team in South Africa? Very much indeed. The coach-riding was the only unpleasant part of the tour. Over one journey, which was supposed to take thirty-six hours, we took five days, which was no joke, as there were no conveniences for washing on the way. In the middle of the night we were obliged to get up sometimes to whip the mules, or else they would not have moved at all. One night we put up at a farmhouse, and Murdoch and I had a room to ourselves. There was only one bed, which looked anything but safe, so I proposed that Murdoch, being much the heavier of the two, should test it first. He did so, with the result that the mattress collapsed, and his head became stuck between the ironwork. It was quite a work of art to get him out, and it was even a greater work of art to prop up the bed in such a way that we could use it. I remember another occasion when three of us – Murdoch, W.W.Read, and myself – had the luxury of reposing on a narrow table, while the rest had to sleep on the floor. I shall always remember one meal that we had. We were so ravenously hungry that our delight knew no bounds when we found that there was some boiled lamb to be had. The lamb was brought in triumph, but, to our sorrow we found that the establishment only boasted one knife and fork. We felt that we couldn’t possibly wait to take turns with these, and so we had to do the best we could. The worst time that I experienced was when we were stuck in a river, and the light weights had to be carried across. Somebody called out to the nigger who was doing his best to get me across safely, ‘Drop him in the river – he hasn’t had such a chance of a bath for five days.’ This, of course was quite true and from the way the nigger smiled I began to think that he would act on the advice. 173 South Africa 1891/92 172 Wisden Book of Test Cricket (1979 edition) p 9 173 Bettesworth Chats on the Cricket Field p 335