Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

56 there was something of a ‘flat track bully’ approach to some modest university bowling, ...the great feature of the day was the hitting of Mr W W Read who, at the drawing of stumps was not out 200. On the Tuesday (Jubilee Day) the game was continued and an immense crowd of people visited Kennington Oval, about 11,000 paying for admission at the turnstiles. Mr W W Read took out his bat for 244 and there is no saying how many he might have made had there been partners to stop with him. He has on occasion played finer cricket, but the moderate quality of the University bowling on a good wicket tempted him to play a risky game. On the whole, however, his display was an extraordinarily fine one, and he scarcely made a mistake except when, with his score at 137, he was nearly caught by Mr Buxton with one hand at third man. 103 Earlier, he had been honoured with the captaincy of the England side which played MCC in the first match of the week which cele- brated the centenary of what was at the time the premier club. His team won by an innings and 117 runs, centuries by Shrewsbury and Stoddart in an opening partnership of 266 and six for 62 from Lohmann ensuring that the hosts never really got a look in. Read himself took advantage of the platform established by the first wicket stand to make 74, showing ‘fine, free cricket’; 104 ‘England’ were just about at full strength. MCC probably regarded the whole week as a bit of a jolly. The next match in the ‘week’ was between a Veterans XI and the Gentlemen of MCC. In 1890 Read became a member of the MCC, 105 playing twice for them against the Australians that summer, but he was never actively involved with ‘the premier club’ and his playing for them that season may not mean very much. He also played for Lord Sheffield’s XI, Lord Londesborough’s XI and the Lyric Club. He made three other first-class centuries that summer of 1887 - against Derbyshire, Kent and Oxford University, and four other scores over 50. Bowlers win matches and Surrey became Champion County for the first time since 1864 106 largely because 103 Wisden 1888 p 7 104 Cricket 16 June 1887 105 Scores and Biographies Vol XIV p xcvi 106 However, as Wisden points out: ‘The title of champion county is unreliable before 1890. In 1963 Wisden formally accepted the list of champions “most generally selected” by contemporaries as researched by the late Rowland Bowen.’ This appears to be the most accurate available list but has no official status ( Wisden 2011 p 369) Surrey and England 1881/87