Lives in Cricket No 25 - Tom Richardson

40 Australia 1894/95 three hundred which, thanks to a third-wicket partnership of 210 between Albert Ward and John Brown, they reached with six wickets to spare. Away from the cricket, the press was beginning to take an interest in off- the-field activities. A MELBOURNE paper, I notice, has been correcting a statement that Richardson, the Surrey bowler was engaged to an Armidale heiress. The correction was perhaps quite well made for Richardson who has a nice little wife, is the picture of health, and the author of any such canard would have a bad time of it if he came within striking distance of “our Tom”. Equal reliance is no doubt to be placed on the announcement that Brockwell, who was the victim of one quite uncalled-for insinuation with regard to Iredale and Surrey cricket, paid marked attention to a fair Jewess, whose sister is the wife of a famous Surrey cricketer. 78 Richardson was not in fact married until October of that year, but more seriously, Rev R.S.Holmes summed up the cricketing side of the trip: This tour has completed the good work done by Lord Sheffield’s team three years ago. Public interest in cricket was at it lowest point in Australia; now it has touched high-water mark. Richardson has done as well as any bowler which is, perhaps, a very flattering compliment, seeing that no bowling analysis will come out at under 20 runs a wicket. His chief successes were in the Brisbane match, and in the last match against Australia. He was at his very best and there is no better. He was a terror to Giffen this tour. 79 Conventional wisdom is that fast bowlers hunt in pairs as Turner and Ferris had in earlier years demonstrated for Australia and Richardson and Lockwood did for Surrey. But Lockwood was little used in this series and such support as Richardson had came from Peel and to a lesser extent Briggs, leaving him to plough a lone furrow as the main strike bowler. Richardson had 32 wickets at 26.53 in 291.2 overs; Peel 27 at 26.7 in 305.1; Briggs 15 at 29.06 in 150.3; Lockwood 5 at 67.8 in 123.5. In financial terms too, the tour was successful. In contrast to the previous one in 1891/92 which left Lord Sheffield out of pocket by about £3,000, 80 Stoddart’s tour made a profit of £7,000. Income from the fifth, deciding, Test alone was £4,000… All of which goes to show that, properly conducted, and with a certain amount of luck, cricket tours in Australia are not a bad investment. In this case, too, it is evidently satisfactory that the profits go to the Melbourne CC and the New South Wales Cricket Association which means that they will go towards the development of the game in Australia generally. 81 78 Cricket 16 May 1895 79 Cricket 28 March 1895 80 The Australasian 2 April 1892 81 Cricket 16 May 1895