Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

17 barred from the school cricket team, so he alleges, in the interest of providing an even contest between his father’s school and their opponents. Instead he found himself in the Reigate Priory club side, making his début away to Tonbridge at the age of thirteen, opening the batting and facing the bowling of Kent paceman, Bob Lipscomb 13 who played 48 first-class matches for his county and a couple of years later took 9 for 88 against MCC at Lord’s. The other opening bowler was Walter Money, former Cambridge University lobster, 14 but it was Lipscomb who provided the greater challenge. The quality of the bowling would in itself have daunted any ordinary youth, but early in the innings Read had the misfortune to be hit by one of Lipscombe’s express deliveries. After a brief interval, however, he pluckily resumed, and played throughout the innings, scoring no fewer than 78 runs. At the conclusion of his display, Lipscombe was so overcome at the prowess he had shown, that he took Read in his arms and enthusiastically exclaimed that he was quite the best boy batsman he had ever bowled against. 15 It was a baptism of fire for the youngster but he was ‘fortunate enough to score 78 runs, not out’, an omen of things to come. He recalls being left at the railway station ‘with a bottle of ginger- beer and a bun for company’, his senior colleagues having doubtless gone off for a bit of traditional après-cricket socialising. Club records include both Walter and elder brother Arthur as playing members. Both played in the end-of-season fixture between the First XI and the Next XXII, the senior side winning easily despite the numerical superiority of their opponents. W Reade [sic] opened the innings for the latter and made two. His brother made a similar contribution. The names of both appear in the playing members’ list with a subscription of 10/-. 16 Also included in that list are seven members of the Nightingale family which played a significant part in the Club, both on and off the field. Two weeks later Mr Read’s school, Holmesdale House, had a convincing victory by an innings and 14 (99 against 25 and 60) over Reigate Grammar School. There is no indication as to whether Walter played, though it is probable that he did. The 1871 Census 13 Annals of Cricket p195 14 Nothing fishy here: just a nineteenth century term for a lob bowler. 15 Surrey Mirror: W W Read’s Obituary 11 January 1907 16 Reigate Priory CC Annual Report 1869/70 Reigate Priory