Lives in Cricket No 25 - Tom Richardson

52 George Lohmann who had Andover connections or maybe someone had had a word with him at Southampton. Nevertheless – SEVEN wickets with consecutive balls in any class of cricket is a rarity akin to the black tulip. The credit of the latest incident of this kind belongs to Tom Richardson, Surrey’s fast bowler. It was done for Andover against Basingstoke on Saturday week. In Basingstoke’s first innings he took ten out of eleven wickets – the match was twelve a side. Seven of these were with consecutive balls, and the last six were clean bowled. 116 The next Test at Old Trafford saw even more bowling for the seemingly tireless fast bowler. Lohmann did not play. Reports vary as to whether he was absent because of injury, illness or personal reasons, but whatever the cause it meant less support for Richardson who bowled over a hundred overs this time, causing Neville Cardus to flash back to the match when writing of the Lancashire-Surrey match at Old Trafford twenty-six years later. He set the scene – Australia 412 all out, England following on, Ranjitsinhji’s 154 not out taking the match into a fourth innings, leaving the tourists 125 to win. A steady start by Australia, 20 for the first wicket before the attention, in a classic piece of purple prose, turns to England and Surrey strike bowler: Then it was that Richardson’s face was seen to be grim – his customary happy smile gone. In Australia’s first innings he had bowled 68 overs for seven wickets and 168 runs. Yet he was here again, bowling like a man just born to immortal energy. And four Australian wickets were down for 45 in an hour. If only England had given the Australians a few more runs, the crowd wished out of its heart – if only Richardson could keep up his pace for another hour. But, of course, no man could expect him to bowl in this superhuman vein for long. Thus did the crowd sigh and regret. But Richardson’s spirit did go on burning a dazzling flame. The afternoon moved slowly to the sunset – every hour an eternity. And Richardson did bowl and bowl and bowl, and his fury diminished not a jot. Other English bowlers faltered, but not Richardson. The fifth wicket fell at 79, the sixth at 95, the seventh at 100. Cardus then continued, With nine runs still to be got by Australia, Kelly gave a chance to Lilley at the wicket and Lilley let the ball drop to the earth. The heart of Richardson might have burst at this, but it did not. To the end he strove and suffered. Australia had won by three wickets, and Cardus goes on to describe how, after the players had returned to the pavilion Richardson simply remained at the bowling crease unable to believe that England had failed to win. That afternoon Richardson had laboured three mortal hours without surcease. In the match he had bowled 110 overs and three balls, for 116 Cricket 16 July 1896 1896...Annus Mirabilis...England