Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

63 After cementing the series win, the team then travelled north to meet Eighteen of Queensland in Brisbane where Read again top-scored with 84 from a total of 265. It was, however, his innings of 66 in the next match against Eighteen of Maryborough which resulted in his owning a corner of a foreign field that was forever Australia. MR W W READ is now a landowner. His success in making the highest score at Maryborough in Queensland entitled him to an allotment of land valued at £25 in the township of Carolin, Queensland, offered by a syndicate to the most successful run-getter. 113 Bligh’s XI won by an innings and 58 runs, despite making only 179; the local side was clearly out of its depth, losing its 34 wickets for 121. Ironically, had it not been for a fairly relaxed approach to the Laws and conventions of the game, Read would not have been ‘the most successful run-getter’. Not out overnight, he was late arriving at the ground next morning – but, rather than being ruled ‘retired out’, was allowed to continue his innings at the fall of the next wicket. The award is an interesting forerunner of the cash, cars and mobile phones now dished out liberally by sponsors. The family has no record or recollection of the land being disposed of and it is theoretically possible that they own a bit of Australia, but it is a claim that they are unlikely to pursue as adverse possession and squatters’ rights have had almost 130 years to kick in. Then, with the informality that characterised nineteenth-century fixture planning, a fourth Test match was arranged against a ‘com- bined’ side which showed three changes, while England again re- mained unchanged. Australia won by four wickets, but to go with Wisden ’s footnote that the match was not reckoned as one which counted towards an Ashes series 114 could be added a marginal note that as an experiment, each of the four innings was played on a separate pitch. The novel idea of using four pitches was born not of an idle whim, but of controversy which arose in the third match when Barlow accused Spofforth of cutting up the pitch with his spikes and the Australian returned the compliment. Somehow, Read was on the periphery of the argument but declined to get involved. 115 113 Cricket 19 April 1883 114 Wisden 2011 p 1376 115 Cashman, The “Demon Spofforth” p 138 Australia 1882/83 and 1887/88