Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

24 The ‘Reigate Week’ However, notwithstanding the auxiliary and extraneous activities, Reigate Priory remained primarily a cricket club, an ambitious one with aspirations to host a county fixture during its week. Despite approving noises from Surrey, it was never likely to happen: when conflict arose Read, bread buttered by the county side, supported the county’s views against those of the club. The fixture list for 1871, in addition to the match against the United South of England XI, had a dozen fixtures, two of two days against Lewes Priory, home and away, and the remaining ten of one day. The length of the list and the membership was to grow gradually through the 1870s, until in imitation if not emulation of Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells, 1879 saw a cricket week inaugurated and repeated the following year with matches against Guildford, Brighton Brunswick and the Gentlemen of Surrey, and a two-dayer against MCC. From its lengthened cricket fame, the central position in a beautiful county, rich with lovely scenery, of the town to which it belongs, the possession of one of the best and most picturesque grounds to be found for miles around, and with more than average strength of talent, few other clubs have a greater claim to what in several centres of our national game has become a recognised institution – namely a “Cricket Week” – than the old-established Reigate Priory. Albeit without an Earl of Sheffield or a Lord Harris as its mainstay, the club has always been widely known and popular, but it was not until last year that the executive attempted following in the footsteps of Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells. 30 Clause analysis of that contorted piece of Victorian journalism presents a challenge, but the enthusiasm cannot be questioned. Read was to record scores of 87, 30, 55 and 21. Integral to the success of ‘cricket week’ was the patronage and the social side both during play and off the field at the annual dinner. James Nightingale and Walter Read, as Joint Secretaries had been heavily involved in the organisation and securing what nowadays would be called ‘sponsorship’. To set a good example, Read’s sisters presented a flag to the club. A large group of noblemen and gentlemen have consented to act as patrons. For a long time past Mr James Nightingale and 30 Reigate, Redhill, Dorking and Epsom Journal 27 July 1880 Reigate Priory