Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

44 began the season with a 94 for Reigate District against Surrey Colts. Later – and we are still, of course, in pre-declaration days – he had 263 out of a total of 557 for Reigate Priory against Guildford, on the way sharing in a partnership of 368 for the third wicket. The match was followed by Gentlemen of England v Australia at The Oval, so it was a useful elongated net. He made 17 and 19 in a match which the tourists won by an innings and one run. Nowadays, he would more likely have prepared by ‘resting’. However, his performances for Surrey were by the standards he had set in earlier years a little disappointing, and, although Cricket was complimentary about his century against Kent at The Oval – he ‘hit very freely, and his 117 was got without a mistake. His success was the more popular, as he had recently been a little out of luck –, the end of the season...’ 77 The end-of-season conclusion was that ‘Mr W.W. Read played a very fine innings against Kent but he hardly came up to expectations formed at the outset.’ 78 Surrey and England 1881/87 77 Cricket 3 August 1882 78 Cricket 14 September 1882 WG and WW. [Roger Mann Collection]