Samuel Richardson (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Samuel Richardson was an English
cricket
er who played for Derbyshire
between 1871 and 1878 and captained the side from 1871 to 1875. He was a member of the team that played Derbyshire's first match in May 1871 when he was captain and wicket-keeper. He fled the country after financial irregularities were found in connection with his administration of Derbyshire Cricket Club and Derby County
.
and became a gentleman's outfitter in the town. He was a proficient cricketer in the 1860s, playing for South Derbyshire Cricket Club, and was one of those present at the initial meeting that led to the founding of Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1870. Richardson was elected as the first captain of Derbyshire and was wicket-keeper in their first match as a first-class
side against Lancashire County Cricket Club
in the 1871 season
. This match, which the team won by an innings margin, held for 87 years the record for the lowest total ever scored against a Derbyshire county team. Derbyshire lost the return match. In the 1872 season
Derbyshire lost both matches against Lancashire, and achieved the same result in the 1873 season
. In the 1874 season
Kent joined Lancashire in playing Derbyshire and three wins and a draw made Derbyshire a contender for Champion County. Richardson only played two of the four matches. In the 1875 season
, his last as captain Alfort Smith
joined the club as a regular wicket-keeper. Richardson played four matches during the 1876 season
, but did not play in 1877. He made his final appearance for Derbyshire in the 1878 season
when he played one match against Kent.
Richardson was a right-handed batsman and played 14 first-class matches and scored 202 runs. His average was 8.8 and his highest score 25. He was an occasional wicket-keeper and stumped once. As a bowler he took one wicket for 43 runs in 56 balls.
. By 1890 the cricket club was found to be in deep financial crisis. Fred Spofforth
played a key part in identifying the fraud that had been committed. The cricket club's losses amounted to £1000 and the football club was also raided. Richardson admitted his guilt and fled the country in disgrace. He was later living in Madrid, under the name "John Roberts" and supposedly as Court Tailor to King Alfonso XII
, the king who put the "Real" in "Real Madrid
". During the Spanish Civil War
he fell upon straitened circumstances and died at the age of 93 in Madrid. He was the longest-living member of the first representative Derbyshire cricket team.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
between 1871 and 1878 and captained the side from 1871 to 1875. He was a member of the team that played Derbyshire's first match in May 1871 when he was captain and wicket-keeper. He fled the country after financial irregularities were found in connection with his administration of Derbyshire Cricket Club and Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
.
Early life and playing career
Richardson was born in DerbyDerby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
and became a gentleman's outfitter in the town. He was a proficient cricketer in the 1860s, playing for South Derbyshire Cricket Club, and was one of those present at the initial meeting that led to the founding of Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1870. Richardson was elected as the first captain of Derbyshire and was wicket-keeper in their first match as a first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
side against Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
in the 1871 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1871
Derbyshire county cricket opening season was in 1871 when Derbyshire County Cricket Club first competed in the county competition, having been founded the previous November.-Foundation:...
. This match, which the team won by an innings margin, held for 87 years the record for the lowest total ever scored against a Derbyshire county team. Derbyshire lost the return match. In the 1872 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1872
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1872 was the second cricket season which the English club Derbyshire played. They had been unable to arrange further first-class fixtures than the two against Lancashire and lost both.-1872 season:...
Derbyshire lost both matches against Lancashire, and achieved the same result in the 1873 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1873
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1873 was the third cricket season which the English club Derbyshire played. Officials and supporters were disappointed that they had been unable to arrange further first-class fixtures than the two against Lancashire, but they managed to arrange an extra match...
. In the 1874 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1874
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1874 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire earned the title of Champion County in their fourth year playing as a club. Kent joined Lancashire to make the second County side to play first class matches against Derbyshire in 1874...
Kent joined Lancashire in playing Derbyshire and three wins and a draw made Derbyshire a contender for Champion County. Richardson only played two of the four matches. In the 1875 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1875
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1875 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their fifth season. Nottinghamshire had played informal matches aggainst Derbyshire in previous seasons, and joined Lancashire and Kent to make a third County side playing first class matches...
, his last as captain Alfort Smith
Alfort Smith
Alfort Smith was an English cricketer who kept wicket for Lancashire in 1867 and 1871 and for Derbyshire between 1873 and 1880....
joined the club as a regular wicket-keeper. Richardson played four matches during the 1876 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1876
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1876 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their sixth season.Hampshire replaced Nottinghamshire as the third county to play Derbyshire, together with Lancashire and Kent. Derbyshire also played their first match against an MCC side, which...
, but did not play in 1877. He made his final appearance for Derbyshire in the 1878 season
Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1878
Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1878 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire played their eighth season.Nottinghamshire played Derbyshire again after a two year break, joining Yorkshire Hampshire, Lancashire and Kent as the fifth county to play Derbyshire-1878 season:In 1878,...
when he played one match against Kent.
Richardson was a right-handed batsman and played 14 first-class matches and scored 202 runs. His average was 8.8 and his highest score 25. He was an occasional wicket-keeper and stumped once. As a bowler he took one wicket for 43 runs in 56 balls.
Financial irregularities and exile
In 1880 Richardson became an administrator of the club, and in 1884 the remit was extended to the associated Derby County Football ClubDerby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. By 1890 the cricket club was found to be in deep financial crisis. Fred Spofforth
Fred Spofforth
Frederick Robert "Fred" Spofforth , also known as "The Demon Bowler", was arguably the Australian cricket team's finest pace bowler of the nineteenth century and was the first bowler to take 50 Test wickets, and the first to take a test hat-trick in 1879...
played a key part in identifying the fraud that had been committed. The cricket club's losses amounted to £1000 and the football club was also raided. Richardson admitted his guilt and fled the country in disgrace. He was later living in Madrid, under the name "John Roberts" and supposedly as Court Tailor to King Alfonso XII
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
, the king who put the "Real" in "Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
". During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
he fell upon straitened circumstances and died at the age of 93 in Madrid. He was the longest-living member of the first representative Derbyshire cricket team.