Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

67 1887/88 Australian politics spilled over into English cricket as what had been a possibility for the previous Australian season, but ultimately prevented by common sense, now became a reality and two English sides left literally simultaneously - indeed on the same ship – the Iberia - for the Antipodes. It was before the days of the Australian Cricket Board and the slightly earlier political federation of the states when tours were still privately organised, so two (or more!) parallel tours were within the realms of possibility. Shaw, Shrewsbury and Lillywhite were always on course to repeat their 1886/87 adventure, but as early as February 1887, Cricket was alive to the possibility of the farce of twin tours. On the other hand, the Committee of the Melbourne Club are equally determined to carry out their plan of bringing out a mixed team. Mr G F Vernon is acting on their behalf here and he will, in conjunction with W W Read, select the players. These will in all probability consist of nine amateurs and four professionals. It is of course very much to be regretted for obvious reasons that the possibility of two English teams simultaneously touring in Australia which everyone fondly hoped had been removed by the withdrawal of the Melbourne Club last season should have again arisen. It is not, we trust, too late even now, to arrive at some basis of agreement which will prevent such an alternative. The Melbourne Club as far as we can gather has, indeed, signified its readiness to act in conjunction with the Sydney Association to secure the presence of the strongest possible English combination in honour of the centennial year. 120 The Iberia left Plymouth on 7 September and arrived in Adelaide some six weeks later, having stopped off at various points en route . There seems to have been a high degree of camaraderie between the two teams and some years later, Lord Hawke recalls the deck sports, the amateur dramatics and sharing a cabin with Read and Monty Bowden. Going through the Red Sea in September, three of us in a three-berth cabin did not provide much elbow-room, my companions being Walter Read and Monty Bowden. This was my initiation into deck sports and there was a big bout of Australia 1882/83 and 1887/88 120 Cricket 24 February 1887