Walter Wright
Encyclopedia
Walter Wright was an English
cricket
er. He was a right-handed batsman and a left-arm medium-fast bowler. He was born in Hucknall Torkard
and died in Leigh, Lancashire.
Wright's began playing County cricket in the 1879 season, representing Nottinghamshire
for the first seven years of his career, having played his first professional game at the age of seventeen for the Notts Bank club, having been a creditable sprinter during his youth, as well as a football
trainer.
Wright made his first-class debut against Lancashire
, scoring a duck in his first innings, but bowling economically, conceding just twelve runs from five overs. He played four further matches during the 1879 season, his final game coming against Gloucestershire
in which he scored a first-innings duck. Wright waited over nine months until his next first-class fixture, and between the following two, over a year, as he played for Gentlemen of Canada for the entirety of the 1880 season. When he returned for the team, having attended several games for Gentlemen of Canada, he immediately hit a poor patch of form, he continued in the lower-order for the rest of the year.
The English summer of 1882 saw an Australian tour of England, climaxing in a single Test in August, in which Wright played a single game, though he was immediately dropped to the tailend after this fixture, under pressure from an improving Alfred Shaw
, the team's captain for four seasons as of 1883. However, this pressure spurred Wright to improve his stamina over the long game, and he appeared for the first time as a permanent fixture in the Nottinghamshire team, as well as playing in several special fixtures, including one for a WG Grace XI and one for North vs. South of England. The following year saw another tour by Australia, in which, after a stream of good form, Wright once again played. While 1886 saw further good form from Wright which saw him play in an England XI against Australia, this was to prove his final fixture for nearly two years. He had taken 193 wickets bowling for Nottinghamshire in county matches.
By the time of his return, in June 1888, Wright had moved to Kent, where, within his first month at the club, he was already being selected once again for North vs. South of England matches, as well as various Gentlemen vs. Players and selected elevens. Come 1890, the inaugural season of the newly formed County Championship, Wright was once again a fixture as a bowler, supported by Test cricketer Fred Martin
. A steady performer in the first league season, Kent finished in equal-third position in the table, while Wright was one of only five Kent players who played in all fourteen games of the season, managing also to play all but one game in 1891, and again in 1892.
While his season-best scores were steadily declining season by season from his career-best century-score of the 1883 season, this form would come back in 1892, when he scored two half-centuries, his first for eight years. This good form for Wright would not show for the rest of the county, as they only managed to pick up two victories in the entire season, finishing second from bottom in the championship. Things were looking up, however, as for the first time since the inaugural season, Kent finished with a positive points total, and Wright with 300 runs to show for the season and a half-century to his credit. Kent had vastly improved come 1894, under the captaincy of Frank Marchant
.
1895 was a poor season, Kent finishing bottom of the league, however, hope was not lost as fresh blood was pumped into the side, in the form of Bill Bradley
and Fred Huish
, and, the following season, improvements were seen in the consistency of both club and player, Wright and Martin forming, on various occasions, a successful bowling partnership. As Martin improved and moved up the order, his positioning in the lineup would be sacrificed to the blooming Fred Huish, in only his second season in the team. 1896 and 1897 saw Kent struggle with form as they had in 1895, in spite of Wright's significant improvement in deep field. While in 1897 and 1898 Wright would once again in most County Championship games, his speed in the field and at the crease had decreased with his advancing age, and the following year, he would quit the first-class game. He had taken 696 wickets bowling for Kent in 11 seasons.
WG Grace's held the opinion of Wright is that he believed him to be at the forefront of the creation and proliferation of swing bowling, a formidable prospect at his speed of movement, Wright being believed to be the second-fastest runner in the world in his prime sprinting days. Following his exit from playing, Wright became a first-class umpire, taking charge of 97 matches between 1900 and 1904 and one further game 20 years later. With decent knowledge and a love of football, Wright acted as a trainer to several several football clubs, coaching Reading
.
More information about Walter Wright's life can be found in his home town web site at Hucknall-Torkard.com by following the people link.
Wright's uncle, Thomas Shooter, played for Nottinghamshire
during the 1881 season.
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. He was a right-handed batsman and a left-arm medium-fast bowler. He was born in Hucknall Torkard
Hucknall
Hucknall, formerly known as Hucknall Torkard, is a town in Greater Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, in the district of Ashfield. The town was historically a centre for framework knitting and then for mining but is now a focus for other industries as well providing housing for workers in...
and died in Leigh, Lancashire.
Wright's began playing County cricket in the 1879 season, representing Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
for the first seven years of his career, having played his first professional game at the age of seventeen for the Notts Bank club, having been a creditable sprinter during his youth, as well as a football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
trainer.
Wright made his first-class debut against Lancashire
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...
, scoring a duck in his first innings, but bowling economically, conceding just twelve runs from five overs. He played four further matches during the 1879 season, his final game coming 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 which he scored a first-innings duck. Wright waited over nine months until his next first-class fixture, and between the following two, over a year, as he played for Gentlemen of Canada for the entirety of the 1880 season. When he returned for the team, having attended several games for Gentlemen of Canada, he immediately hit a poor patch of form, he continued in the lower-order for the rest of the year.
The English summer of 1882 saw an Australian tour of England, climaxing in a single Test in August, in which Wright played a single game, though he was immediately dropped to the tailend after this fixture, under pressure from an improving Alfred Shaw
Alfred Shaw
Alfred Shaw was an eminent Victorian cricketer and rugby footballer, who bowled the first ball in Test cricket and was the first to take five wickets in a Test innings . He who organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888...
, the team's captain for four seasons as of 1883. However, this pressure spurred Wright to improve his stamina over the long game, and he appeared for the first time as a permanent fixture in the Nottinghamshire team, as well as playing in several special fixtures, including one for a WG Grace XI and one for North vs. South of England. The following year saw another tour by Australia, in which, after a stream of good form, Wright once again played. While 1886 saw further good form from Wright which saw him play in an England XI against Australia, this was to prove his final fixture for nearly two years. He had taken 193 wickets bowling for Nottinghamshire in county matches.
By the time of his return, in June 1888, Wright had moved to Kent, where, within his first month at the club, he was already being selected once again for North vs. South of England matches, as well as various Gentlemen vs. Players and selected elevens. Come 1890, the inaugural season of the newly formed County Championship, Wright was once again a fixture as a bowler, supported by Test cricketer Fred Martin
Fred Martin
Frederick "Fred" Martin is a retired Scottish professional international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. His only senior club was Aberdeen, with whom he played for 14 years...
. A steady performer in the first league season, Kent finished in equal-third position in the table, while Wright was one of only five Kent players who played in all fourteen games of the season, managing also to play all but one game in 1891, and again in 1892.
While his season-best scores were steadily declining season by season from his career-best century-score of the 1883 season, this form would come back in 1892, when he scored two half-centuries, his first for eight years. This good form for Wright would not show for the rest of the county, as they only managed to pick up two victories in the entire season, finishing second from bottom in the championship. Things were looking up, however, as for the first time since the inaugural season, Kent finished with a positive points total, and Wright with 300 runs to show for the season and a half-century to his credit. Kent had vastly improved come 1894, under the captaincy of Frank Marchant
Frank Marchant
Frank Marchant was an English cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and an occasional wicket-keeper. He was born in Kent.-Life:...
.
1895 was a poor season, Kent finishing bottom of the league, however, hope was not lost as fresh blood was pumped into the side, in the form of Bill Bradley
Bill Bradley
William Warren "Bill" Bradley is an American hall of fame basketball player, Rhodes scholar, and former three-term Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey. He ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in the 2000 election.Bradley was born and raised in a suburb of St....
and Fred Huish
Fred Huish
Frederick Henry Huish was one of the major factors behind Kent's success in the County Championship in the decade prior to World War I and arguably the best wicket-keeper never to play Test cricket...
, and, the following season, improvements were seen in the consistency of both club and player, Wright and Martin forming, on various occasions, a successful bowling partnership. As Martin improved and moved up the order, his positioning in the lineup would be sacrificed to the blooming Fred Huish, in only his second season in the team. 1896 and 1897 saw Kent struggle with form as they had in 1895, in spite of Wright's significant improvement in deep field. While in 1897 and 1898 Wright would once again in most County Championship games, his speed in the field and at the crease had decreased with his advancing age, and the following year, he would quit the first-class game. He had taken 696 wickets bowling for Kent in 11 seasons.
WG Grace's held the opinion of Wright is that he believed him to be at the forefront of the creation and proliferation of swing bowling, a formidable prospect at his speed of movement, Wright being believed to be the second-fastest runner in the world in his prime sprinting days. Following his exit from playing, Wright became a first-class umpire, taking charge of 97 matches between 1900 and 1904 and one further game 20 years later. With decent knowledge and a love of football, Wright acted as a trainer to several several football clubs, coaching Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
.
More information about Walter Wright's life can be found in his home town web site at Hucknall-Torkard.com by following the people link.
Wright's uncle, Thomas Shooter, played for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire 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 Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
during the 1881 season.
External links
- Walter Wright at CricinfoCricinfoESPNcricinfo is believed to be the largest cricket-related website on the World Wide Web. Content includes news,articles, live scorecards,live text commentary and a comprehensive and searchable database called 'StatsGuru', of historical matches and players from the 18th century to the present...
- Walter Wright at CricketArchiveCricketArchiveCricketArchive is a website that aims to provide a comprehensive archive of records relating to the sport of cricket. It claims to be the most comprehensive cricket database on the internet, including scorecards for all matches of first-class cricket , List A cricket , Women's Test cricket and...