Lives in Cricket No 25 - Tom Richardson

31 Hayward’s 142 paved the way for yet another innings victory, this time over Kent, and Richardson’s seven for 47, followed by Lockwood’s six for 39, finished off the job – revenge for the earlier defeat at Catford Bridge, one of only four in first-class cricket that season. The bowling of Richardson and Lockwood and Kingsmill Key’s captaincy in his first season were undoubtedly major contributors to Surrey’s regaining the title. Richardson was one of five players to be awarded his county cap. It could not have caused much debate: Richardson proved to be the best bowler of the year, and he was so splendidly backed up by Lockwood that Mr Key’s duties were considerably lightened, and at the end of the season he had the proud satisfaction of knowing that his county was at the head of the Championship table … He nursed his bowlers with admirable judgment, and very many good judges are of the opinion that Richardson would never have made his vast reputation if he had been under a man who did not know the precise moment when it was necessary to give him a rest. 64 Alas, it was not always so in later years. Wisden summarised the season as follows: On all wickets – fast as well as slow – no other county had two bowlers quite so deadly as Richardson and Lockwood, to whom the young left- hander, Smith, proved a most able assistant. Nearly all the bowling work of the season devolved upon these three men, who took amongst them 270 wickets in the championship matches and in all first-class engagements no fewer than 414. No other bowler on the side took more than fourteen in the whole of the season. Of the three bowlers who did so much, Richardson clearly carried off the chief honours. On some days there was nothing to choose between him and Lockwood, but he was more consistently effective than his colleague, and not only took a greater number of wickets, but came out with a far better average. An unfortunate strain, sustained in the Middlesex match at Lord’s, kept him out of the eleven for three weeks, or there is no doubt he would have taken considerably over 200 wickets for Surrey during the season. Even at that, his number reached 196. Against Essex at the Oval he took all ten wickets in one innings, a performance which, but for the promotion of Essex, would not have been reckoned in first- class matches. Curiously enough, Richardson did not play in any first- class engagements last season, except those of Surrey, but his doings for the county were sufficient to stamp him as, beyond question, the bowler of the year. 65 It was the last occasion for four seasons that he would not progress beyond the 200-wicket mark. Having regained the Championship, Surrey formalised the concept of winter pay, though there had been occasional instances for the previous decade and more. They were followed within a 64 Cricket 12 April 1900 – A Chat about Mr K J Key 65 1895 p 3 1892-94 Surrey...and England