{{short description|English cricketer}} {{other people}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}} {{Use British English|date=February 2016}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Walter Read | image = WW Read 001.jpg | country = England | fullname = Walter William Read | birth_date = {{Birth date|1855|11|23|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Reigate]], [[Surrey]], England | death_date = {{Death date and age|1907|1|6|1855|11|23|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Addiscombe Park]], Surrey, England | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right arm [[Fast bowling#Categorisation of fast bowling|slow]] ([[Underarm bowling|underarm]]) | international = true | testdebutdate = 30 December | testdebutyear = 1882 | testdebutagainst = Australia | testcap = 40 | lasttestdate = 26 August | lasttestyear = 1893 | lasttestagainst = Australia | club1 = [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey]] | year1 = 1873–1897 | club2 = [[Marylebone Cricket Club|MCC]] | year2 = 1890 | columns = 2 | column1 = [[Test cricket|Test]] | matches1 = 18 | runs1 = 720 | bat avg1 = 27.69 | 100s/50s1 = 1/5 | top score1 = 117 | deliveries1 = 60 | wickets1 = 0 | bowl avg1 = – | fivefor1 = – | tenfor1 = – | best bowling1 = – | catches/stumpings1 = 16/– | column2 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]] | matches2 = 467 | runs2 = 22,349 | bat avg2 = 32.06 | 100s/50s2 = 38/113 | top score2 = 338 | deliveries2 = 5,597 | wickets2 = 108 | bowl avg2 = 32.25 | fivefor2 = 1 | tenfor2 = 0 | best bowling2 = 6/24 | catches/stumpings2 = 381/20 | date = 23 September | year = 2008 | source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/69/69.html CricketArchive }} '''Walter William Read''' (23 November 1855 - 6 January 1907) was an [[England national cricket team|English]] [[cricketer]]. A fluent right hand bat, he was also an occasional bowler of [[Lob bowling|lobs]] who sometimes switched to quick overarm deliveries. He captained England in two [[Test cricket|Test match]]es, winning them both. Read was named a [[Wisden Cricketer of the Year]] in 1893.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://static.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/19352.html|title=Walter Read|website =[[CricInfo]]}}</ref>
==Cricket career== Read took part in the original Ashes series of 1882–3 and is commemorated by the poem inscribed on the side of the urn:
:''When [[Ivo Bligh|Ivo]] goes back with the urn, the urn;'' :''[[Studd brothers|Studds]], [[Allan Steel|Steel]], Read and [[Edward Tylecote|Tylecote]] return, return;'' :''The welkin will ring loud,'' :''The great crowd will feel proud,'' :''Seeing [[Dick Barlow|Barlow]] and [[Billy Bates|Bates]] with the urn, the urn;'' :''And the rest coming home with the urn.''
He played for [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey]] from 1873 to 1897, scoring 338 for them against [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]] in 1888. At the time, it was the second highest [[first-class cricket|first-class]] score ever made. He was a member of the side that won the [[County Championship]] in 1890-2, 1894 and 1895. After [[W. G. Grace]] he was the most prolific amateur of his day.
He became the first number 10 to score a hundred in Test cricket when he made 117 against Australia at The Oval in 1884. His match-saving innings remains the highest score by a No. 10 in Tests. He reached his century in 113 minutes with 36 scoring strokes. His partnership of 151 with [[William Scotton]] remains England's highest for the ninth wicket against Australia. According to Sir [[Home Gordon]], Read was furious at being held down so low in the order.
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *Keith Booth, ''Walter Read: A Class Act'', ACS Publications, 2011, {{ISBN|978-1-908165-11-4}}.
==External links== * [https://archive.org/details/annalscricketar00readgoog ''Annals of Cricket'' by W. W. Read (1896)] at [[Internet Archive]]
[[File:Walter William Read cricketer.jpg|thumb|left|Walter Read]] {{s-start}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box|before=[[Arthur Shrewsbury]]|title=[[English national cricket captains|English national cricket captain]]|after=[[W. G. Grace]]|years=1887/8}} {{succession box|before=[[W. G. Grace]]|title=[[English national cricket captains|English national cricket captain]]|after=[[W. G. Grace]]|years=1892}} {{s-end}} {{England Test cricket captains}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Read, Walter}} [[Category:1855 births]] [[Category:1907 deaths]] [[Category:England Test cricketers]] [[Category:England Test cricket captains]] [[Category:English cricketers]] [[Category:Surrey cricketers]] [[Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers]] [[Category:Gentlemen cricketers]] [[Category:North v South cricketers]] [[Category:Wisden Cricketers of the Year]] [[Category:Cricketers from Reigate]] [[Category:Gentlemen of the South cricketers]] [[Category:East of England cricketers]] [[Category:Gentlemen of England cricketers]] [[Category:C. I. Thornton's XI cricketers]] [[Category:Lyric Club cricketers]] [[Category:Lord Londesborough's XI cricketers]] [[Category:19th-century English sportsmen]]