Lives in Cricket No 25 - Tom Richardson

49 Chapter Six 1896...Annus Mirabilis...England Lillywhite’s repeated what it had said in previous years about Richardson, namely One of the very best fast bowlers of the day, keeps a good length, and comes back at times a good lot; can bat well and is a good field. 109 but, although the Annual has plenty to say about public school and university cricket, his performances for Surrey barely rate a mention: Lockwood was quite out of form in the latter matches, and the loss of his bowling was felt severely. Richardson and Lohmann, as it was, had to do most of the bowling, and though the former was not quite as successful as in 1895, considering that the wickets gave little assistance on the whole, both Lohmann and he did very well. 110 Other than that, he is mentioned only in en passant or in general terms: In respect of the test matches, their surprising collapse at Lord’s at the commencement of the first of the three fixtures seriously prejudiced their chances of winning the rubber... On some grounds the long spell of fine weather made the pitches so fiery that batsmen could not touch fast bowling, and then the great pace of such bowlers as Jones the Australian and Richardson told with deadly effect... [The Australians’] one victory in the test matches was the result of excellent all round cricket, and they won thoroughly on their merits as the game went. The comparatively poor show of the England bowlers on that occasion with the exception of Richardson… 111 1896 turned out to be a momentous year, starting with a charity match on April Fools Day in which Richardson played an active fund-raising role. He captained a team of Surrey professionals against one of comic entertainers at Thames Ditton to raise funds for the Thames Ditton and Surbiton Cottage Hospital During the afternoon the players took round collecting boxes... Richardson himself reminding the spectators that they never knew when they might be there themselves. 112 A pre-season warm-up saw the county’s first string beaten by eight wickets 109 1897 p 259 110 p 56 111 pp 17,53, 54 112 Daily Mail 2 April 1896