Walter Reader-Blackton
Encyclopedia
Walter Reader-Blackton was an English cricket
er who played first-class cricket
for Derbyshire
between 1914 and 1921.
Reader-Blackton was born at Shirland
, Derbyshire
as Walter Blackton. He began playing for Derbyshire at the age of 18 in 1914, and after a game in the 2nd XI, made his first-class debut against Worcestershire
in August 1914 when he was not out for 31.
First class cricket was interrupted by the First World War and Reader-Blackton served in the Leicestershire Regiment (4th Bn Territorial Force). He was awarded the MC
in 1919
After the war, Reader-Blackton resumed playing for Derbyshire. He played two matches in 1920 in which he was out for 1 in each of his four innings and with a score of 1 in his first match in 1921 became the first player to be dismissed for 1 in five consecutive first-class innings. Against Gloucestershire
in 1921 he took a rare bowling spell and achieved 3 for 40. He concluded his first class career after his five matches in 1921.
Reader-Blackton was a right-hand batsman and played 15 innings in eight first-class matches with an average of 7.64 and a top score of 31 not out. He was a right-arm medium pace bowler and took 5 first class wickets at an average of 16.20 and a best performance of 3 for 40.
Reader-Blackton married at Leek in 1922 and died at Derby
, at the age of 80.
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 first-class cricket
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...
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 1914 and 1921.
Reader-Blackton was born at Shirland
Shirland
Shirland is a parish and former mining village in Derbyshire, England. It is continuous with the villages of Higham, Stretton and Stonebroom. Shirland has existed since at least 1086. Local politics is largely Labour. The River Amber flows through the parish....
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
as Walter Blackton. He began playing for Derbyshire at the age of 18 in 1914, and after a game in the 2nd XI, made his first-class debut against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
in August 1914 when he was not out for 31.
First class cricket was interrupted by the First World War and Reader-Blackton served in the Leicestershire Regiment (4th Bn Territorial Force). He was awarded the MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
in 1919
...for conspicuous gallantry and cool leadership on 18th September, 1918, near Haisnes. He took a patrol through the enemy front line to the main line of resistance, where he remained some time acquiring valuable information, and returned safely with his patrol, though discovered by the enemy. The following night when attempting to capture a machine-gun post which he had located, his patrol was discovered, and came under heavy fire, but he got all his men back safely.
After the war, Reader-Blackton resumed playing for Derbyshire. He played two matches in 1920 in which he was out for 1 in each of his four innings and with a score of 1 in his first match in 1921 became the first player to be dismissed for 1 in five consecutive first-class innings. Against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire 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 Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
in 1921 he took a rare bowling spell and achieved 3 for 40. He concluded his first class career after his five matches in 1921.
Reader-Blackton was a right-hand batsman and played 15 innings in eight first-class matches with an average of 7.64 and a top score of 31 not out. He was a right-arm medium pace bowler and took 5 first class wickets at an average of 16.20 and a best performance of 3 for 40.
Reader-Blackton married at Leek in 1922 and died at Derby
Derby
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...
, at the age of 80.