Lives in Cricket No 25 - Tom Richardson

59 In the return match the following month, it was even easier. The match was finished in a day – one of only five in the Club’s history – as ‘Richardson again had a wonderful record.’ 134 He and Hayward bowled through both innings as Leicestershire were twice dismissed for 35 and Richardson returned 12-8-6-5 and 12-6-14-7. By 18 June, he was through 100 wickets, three days earlier than the previous season, but behind J.T.Hearne who reached the benchmark on 12 June. They were the only two members of the Players side which met the Gentlemen at The Oval, who had never scored a first-class century, but they had made their contribution in other ways. By 15 July Richardson had taken 125, Hearne 119: the amateurs between them had taken 101. No doubt who did the bowling during the amateur-professional divide. Ironically, neither starred in the match, but with just a few runs required to win the match in the fourth innings, Richardson was allowed to open the batting and made 27 not out from 31 while two wickets fell at the other end. The following week in the Lord’s version of the same fixture, it was back to normal, batting at No.11, ten wickets in the match, eight bowled, two lbw in a win by 78 runs. Players were dominant now leading Cricket to report almost apologetically .. despite the failures of so many great players the Gentlemen made a splendid fight. 135 He did not need to move his kit from Lord’s, Surrey’s next match being there; nor was there any dip in his form as he added another thirteen to the fourth column in an eight-wicket victory. There can be little doubt about Richardson’s superiority at this stage of his career and Surrey were surprised that anyone else, however distinguished, could hold a different opinion. Mr C.B.FRY in a recently published article expresses an opinion that Lockwood in his best form is a more difficult bowler than Richardson. This will be news to the Surrey committee and the Surrey eleven, although if the remark had been made three or four years ago, it would perhaps have met with approval. 136 Certainly the statistics over those years would have demonstrated the superiority of Richardson’s record over Lockwood’s; but one can see where Fry is coming from. Like his friend and colleague, Ranjitsinhji, he could appreciate Lockwood’s greater variety, but would have acknowledged Richardson’s greater consistency. The match against Essex at Leyton was an eventful one and was both started and finished by Richardson: From the beginning of the game, the wicket was just a little tricky – just tricky enough to give experienced bowlers like Richardson and 134 Cricket 17 June 1897 135 Cricket 15 July 1897 136 Cricket 22 July 1897 1897...Jubilee and Millennium