Walter Mead (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Walter Mead was the principal bowler for Essex
during their first two decades as a first-class county. As a member of the Lord’s ground staff, he was also after J.T. Hearne
the most important bowler for MCC and Ground
, who in those days played quite a number of first-class matches.
A right arm bowler of slow to medium pace, Walter Mead always maintained an excellent length and could spin back to deadly effect whenever wickets were affected by rain. He could vary his stock off break with a ball that turned the other way, but he lacked the deceptive flight that enabled such bowlers as Blythe
, Dennett
or J.C. White
to do well on firm pitches. He rarely did much as a batsman, but when sent in as night-watchman against Leicestershire
in 1902 he surprised the crowd so much by making 119 that there was a special collection for him as a reward.
Even before Essex had been elevated to first-class status, Walter Mead already had a reputation as a bowler of class. Against the touring Australian in 1893 he took seventeen wickets, but the following year when Essex became first-class he was disappointing on pitches that should have helped him, taking only 41 wickets in eight inter-county matches for 21 each. In 1895, however, after a slow start, he became deadly when wickets became sticky during the middle of July. For the whole summer Mead obtained a record of 179 wickets for less than fifteen runs apiece, and his 17 for 119 against Hampshire is the second best bowling for a losing side in first-class cricket, behind William Mycroft
in 1876 (also against Hampshire
). Only Tich Freeman
has since taken seventeen wickets twice in matches of comparable importance.
1896 and 1897, with most pitches unfavourable to him due to dry weather, were disappointing, but Mead gradually rebounded in the following years. An excellent performance against the Australians in 1899 saw Mead chosen for his only Test match
at Lord's, but he was harmless on the hard pitch. He remained close to the top of the first-class averages for every season from 1899 to 1903 - though in 1901 he was helped by some very bad Lord's wickets when playing for the MCC - and in the last-named year was chosen as a Cricketer of the Year by Wisden
after heading the first-class bowling averages with best match figures of twelve for 76 against Surrey
at the Oval and fifteen for 115 against Leicestershire
at Leyton.
However, over the 1903/1904 winter Walter Mead's career with Essex terminated temporarily as a result of a dispute over winter pay. They missed him badly in 1904 and 1905, and by 1906 he had agreed to return to the eleven. Considering the remarkable dryness of the 1906 summer in the Home Counties
, he bowled very well, and in 1907 he was almost as difficult as ever on the soft pitches. In 1908, however, Walter Mead declined so badly, taking only 48 County Championship wickets, that it was clear his best days were over. Despite a minor revival in 1910 and 1911, when Mead failed to make the most of continuous soft wickets in 1912 it was clear his career was over, so that he dropped out of the eleven before 1913 ended despite Essex having no spin bowler to replace him.
Mead left the Lord's ground staff in 1918. His son, Harold
, also played some first-class cricket for Essex, although he died in 1921 after never fully recovering from wounds he sustained during World War I
. Mead died at the age of eighty-five in 1954.
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
during their first two decades as a first-class county. As a member of the Lord’s ground staff, he was also after J.T. Hearne
Jack Hearne (John Thomas Hearne)
John Thomas Hearne was a Middlesex and England medium-fast bowler...
the most important bowler for MCC and Ground
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, who in those days played quite a number of first-class matches.
A right arm bowler of slow to medium pace, Walter Mead always maintained an excellent length and could spin back to deadly effect whenever wickets were affected by rain. He could vary his stock off break with a ball that turned the other way, but he lacked the deceptive flight that enabled such bowlers as Blythe
Colin Blythe
Colin Blythe , also known as Charlie Blythe, was a Kent and England left arm spinner who is regarded as one of the finest bowlers of the period between 1900 and 1914 - sometimes referred to as the "Golden Age" of cricket.-Career:Blythe first played...
, Dennett
George Dennett
George Dennett was a left arm spinner for Gloucestershire between 1903 and 1926, and from his figures could be considered one of the best bowlers never to play Test cricket...
or J.C. White
Jack White (cricketer)
John Cornish White, known as "Farmer" or "Jack", was an English cricketer who played for Somerset and England. White was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929...
to do well on firm pitches. He rarely did much as a batsman, but when sent in as night-watchman against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
in 1902 he surprised the crowd so much by making 119 that there was a special collection for him as a reward.
Even before Essex had been elevated to first-class status, Walter Mead already had a reputation as a bowler of class. Against the touring Australian in 1893 he took seventeen wickets, but the following year when Essex became first-class he was disappointing on pitches that should have helped him, taking only 41 wickets in eight inter-county matches for 21 each. In 1895, however, after a slow start, he became deadly when wickets became sticky during the middle of July. For the whole summer Mead obtained a record of 179 wickets for less than fifteen runs apiece, and his 17 for 119 against Hampshire is the second best bowling for a losing side in first-class cricket, behind William Mycroft
William Mycroft
William Mycroft was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Derbyshire and MCC between 1873 and 1886. He was a left-arm fast bowler with a great deal of spin and a dangerous yorker that was often believed to be unfair - which may explain why he was not considered for the earliest...
in 1876 (also against Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
). Only Tich Freeman
Tich Freeman
Alfred Percy "Tich" Freeman was an English cricketer. A leg spin bowler for Kent and England, he is the only man to take 300 wickets in an English season, and is the second most prolific wicket taker in first class cricket history.-Career:Freeman's common name comes from his extremely short...
has since taken seventeen wickets twice in matches of comparable importance.
1896 and 1897, with most pitches unfavourable to him due to dry weather, were disappointing, but Mead gradually rebounded in the following years. An excellent performance against the Australians in 1899 saw Mead chosen for his only Test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
at Lord's, but he was harmless on the hard pitch. He remained close to the top of the first-class averages for every season from 1899 to 1903 - though in 1901 he was helped by some very bad Lord's wickets when playing for the MCC - and in the last-named year was chosen as a Cricketer of the Year by Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
after heading the first-class bowling averages with best match figures of twelve for 76 against Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
at the Oval and fifteen for 115 against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
at Leyton.
However, over the 1903/1904 winter Walter Mead's career with Essex terminated temporarily as a result of a dispute over winter pay. They missed him badly in 1904 and 1905, and by 1906 he had agreed to return to the eleven. Considering the remarkable dryness of the 1906 summer in the Home Counties
Home Counties
The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...
, he bowled very well, and in 1907 he was almost as difficult as ever on the soft pitches. In 1908, however, Walter Mead declined so badly, taking only 48 County Championship wickets, that it was clear his best days were over. Despite a minor revival in 1910 and 1911, when Mead failed to make the most of continuous soft wickets in 1912 it was clear his career was over, so that he dropped out of the eleven before 1913 ended despite Essex having no spin bowler to replace him.
Mead left the Lord's ground staff in 1918. His son, Harold
Harold Mead
Harold Mead was an English cricketer. Mead was a right-handed batsman who bowled slow left-arm orthodox. He was born at Walthamstow, Essex....
, also played some first-class cricket for Essex, although he died in 1921 after never fully recovering from wounds he sustained during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Mead died at the age of eighty-five in 1954.