Lives in Cricket No 21 - Walter Read

85 defiance by Turner and Blackham. Read’s Test career ended with a 0 not out in a match more memorable for Old Trafford’s first Test match century – by William Gunn – and Tom Richardson’s two five wicket hauls on his Test début. 1894 Now in his twenty-second season and thirty-ninth year, Read was inevitably past his best, but he still came out with the highest average for Surrey and there were still some memorable moments. He scored 60 for the Gentlemen at the Oval and what was now becoming his annual century was a big and match-winning one. Against Yorkshire at the Oval Mr WW Read who has been out of luck in the previous matches, was this time in his best form and Brockwell and he punished the Yorkshire bowling severely.... Mr Read completed his hundred after he had been in two hours. Mr Read was out unluckily. He played a ball from Hirst on to his foot and thence on to his wicket. The outgoing batsman has never in his long career been seen to better advantage. After the first few overs he played with consummate judgment as well as rare confidence and his hitting all round was up to his very best standard which is saying a great deal. 152 His 161 was by some distance the highest score in the match, Brockwell’s the only other century, and contributed to a total of 401 which was almost sufficient to ensure an innings win. As it was, Surrey won by ten wickets with a day to spare. He had the top score of 33 not out in Surrey’s second innings against Lancashire when, after losing the first day’s play to the weather, Lancashire were bowled out for 74 in the fourth innings to produce a tie. (There has been only one since then in Surrey first-class matches). This was a match judged by Read later to be the most exciting in which he had ever played. 153 1895 For some years, it had been received opinion that the powers of W.G.Grace were declining – unsurprisingly as he was now well into 152 Cricket 28 June 1894 153 Cricket 23 May 1895 Surrey and England 1888/97