Lives in Cricket No 25 - Tom Richardson

72 Chapter Nine Fin-de-Siècle 1898 After his return from Australia, Tom was never the same player again. Fast bowlers, it is said, reach their peak about the age of 28. Richardson’s zenith was a little before that. The plateau at which he was at his very best had lasted four years, a sharp incline to reach it, a tour of Australia in its midst and a gradual decline beginning with his second tour of Australia. The tour had taken its toll – on everyone. The amateurs, however, had the luxury of being able to take a couple of weeks off. Not so the professionals. They had a living to earn. Of the amateur members of Mr Stoddart’s team not one has yet taken part in first-class cricket this year. Nearly all the professionals have begun the season well especially Hayward, Storer and J.T.Hearne. Richardson did wonderfully well at first but received a slight shock in the Essex match. 169 Three years earlier, a successful tour of Australia had been followed by a record-breaking wicket-taking season. A less successful tour was followed by a less successful season in which Richardson took ‘only’ 161 wickets at an average at 19.54, acceptable enough, but below the high standards of earlier seasons. He began with 25.4-13-32-6 for C.I.Thornton’s England XI against Cambridge University at Fenner’s. Three for 108 and two for 53 against Essex was nearer the norm for that season, though he still managed twelve five-wicket innings and four ten-wicket matches. Surrey had a slow start to the season, accelerated towards the end, but it was not enough to give them a Championship placing higher than fourth. Longfellow’s Psalm of Life provided the framework and the metre for an optimistic parody: Tell me not in mournful numbers “Surrey is a rotten team For its bowling talent slumbers And the batsmen sleepy seem!” Wait till we begin in earnest. With our eyes set on the goal! When thou, Tom, to form returnest When thou dost begin to bowl! ... 169 Cricket 19 May 1898