Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

51 was his only century in 23 appearances in what was at the time considered a prestigious fixture, though he did have eight other scores of over fifty. Noting that Mr W.G.Grace, Mr W.W.Read and Gunn all played up to their reputations - again bracketed with distinguished company – Cricket reported on the third day’s play, Mr Read, who was not out 66 on Friday night continued to play grand cricket on Saturday until he had made 125 when he was missed in the field by Scotton. This was a fatal mistake by the Players and one which materially influenced the result. Mr Read added 34 runs when he was caught at short slip off the wicket-keeper, thus bringing to an end one of the finest innings ever recorded for the Gentlemen. Going in second wicket down at 13 he was seventh out at 306, having been batting for four hours and three-quarters. With the exception of the very hard return to Peate and his chance late in the innings to Scotton, his play was without a fault. His figures were twenty-four fours, six threes, ten twos and twenty-five singles. 92 National averages in Cricket in early August, though including matches not subsequently considered first-class, show Read in the lead with 53.31 (1727 from 32 completed innings) some distance ahead of Gunn in second place with 38.21 (1199 from 31). 93 He did not remain there but ended the season with a respectable enough first-class average of 44.76 from 42 innings. 94 1886 Among Read’s more significant contributions that year was his 94 in The Oval Test Match, this time batting more appropriately at No.4, rather than No.10; as he had in the previous series, he narrowly missed out on consecutive Test centuries on his home ground. He had already been England’s top scorer in the four wicket win at Old Trafford and, though playing a less significant individual role, was part of a team that took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with a comfortable innings victory at Lord’s. At The Oval, When it seemed almost certain that Mr. Read would reach his 100 he was out to a well-judged catch in the long field. Out 92 Cricket 9 July 1885 93 Cricket 6 August 1885. .31 and .21 are not decimal fractions, but the ‘number over’, reflecting the usual practice at the time. 94 Cricket Archive – and a genuine decimal fraction this time. Surrey and England 1881/87