Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

70 latter were sometimes taken less than seriously. Against XXII of Cootamundra, Read batted at No.11 and almost succeeded in seeing Bobby Abel, who carried his bat, to a century. Mr Walter Read, who went in last, did his best to enable his county comrade to attain his desire, but he was stopped after playing a good innings for 33. 126 Record-keeping at the time being less meticulous than it has subsequently become, his dismissal is recorded in Cricket Archive as ‘c [unknown]’. After the Test match, a couple of Read centuries followed, firstly a second innings of 142 not out against Victoria, Mr Read opened, as is customary with him, cautiously. He was bent on a score as Shrewsbury, some 500 miles away was known to have made a tolerable number against New South Wales and the two are running for a place. When Mr Read sets to work with his whole heart, as George Giffen says, he is about the most difficult man in the world to bowl. At any rate, Victorians found him a hard nut… Mr Read and Peel then treated the bowling very cavalierly. The former especially was in great form to the delight of the few spectators. His innings which included fourteen boundary hits was the best he has ever played in Melbourne. 127 Then 119 against New South Wales, Mr W Read came next and he very soon saw Abel give place to Mr O’Brien. Their partnership proved very advantageous, as the pair knocked the bowling all over the place, and nearly 100 runs were put on before Mr O’Brien was caught at the wicket. Mr Read continued to hit freely, and the score increased to 248, principally through his agency, before the next wicket fell. Rawlin succeeded Mr Newton, and only a few runs had been added when Mr Read was thrown out. He had played a splendid innings for 119, though he gave a fairly easy chance to Turner when he had scored a single. 128 He had now scored a century against each of the three state sides and captained ‘England’ to a Test match victory. However ‘hollow’ the latter, it all added up to a successful trip after an unpromising start. 126 Cricket 29 March 1888 127 Cricket 26 April 1888 128 Cricket 29 March 1888 Australia 1882/83 and 1887/88