Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

18 records no pupils at the School (it was probably the Easter vacation), but in 1881 there were eleven boarders, and if it is assumed that the situation was little different ten years earlier, even allowing for a handful of day pupils, anybody who was not completely hopeless would have to play. The following year, he certainly played for the School against the Grammar School, Holmesdale House again winning by an innings. Walter dominated the match with 130. 17 Not bad for one barred from the team. Local press coverage of Reigate Priory cricket is not fully comprehensive, but such as there is indicates that Walter was playing fairly regularly over the 1870, 1871 and 1872 seasons, often opening the batting with Arthur. The Cricket Club was established in 1852, but there is newspaper evidence that cricket was played before that. The report on the 1873 match against Petworth, in which Read opened the innings and was LBW for 16, and Caffyn batted at no 3, refers to this fixture being played for the first time for forty-two years 18 ….which means cricket was already being played in the area more than 17 Reigate, Redhill, Dorking and Epsom Journal 31 May 1870 18 Reigate, Redhill, Dorking and Epsom Journal 27 May 1873 Reigate Priory Read in front of the Reigate Priory pavilion.