Walter Mead (1 April 1868 – 18 March 1954) was the main bowler for Kent throughout their first couple of decades like a first-class county. As part of the Lord’s ground staff, he seemed to be after J.T. Hearne the most crucial bowler for MCC and Ground, who in individuals days performed a large number of first-class matches.
The right arm bowler of slow to medium pace, Walter Mead always maintained a great length and may spin to deadly effect whenever wickets were impacted by rain. He could vary his stock off break having a ball that switched another way, but he lacked the deceitful flight that enabled such bowlers as Blythe, Dennett or J.C. White-colored to complete well on firm pitches. He rarely did almost as much ast a batsman, however when submitted as night-watchman against Leicestershire in 1902 he surprised everyone else a lot by looking into making 119 there would be a special collection for him in exchange.
Before Kent have been elevated to first-class status, Walter Mead already were built with a status like a bowler of sophistication. From the touring Australian in 1893 he required 17 wickets, but the year after when Kent grew to become first-class he was disappointing on pitches which should have helped him, taking only 41 wickets in eight inter-county matches for 21 each. In 1895, however, following a slow start, he grew to become deadly when wickets grew to become sticky during the center of This summer. For the entire summer time Mead acquired an eye on 179 wickets for under 15 runs each, and the 17 for 119 against Hampshire may be the the second best bowling for any losing side in first-class cricket, behind William Mycroft in 1876 (also against Hampshire). Only Tich Freeman has since taken 17 wickets two times in matches of comparable importance.
1896 and 1897, with many pitches unfavourable to him because of dry weather, were disappointing, but Mead progressively rebounded within the following years. A great performance from the Australians in 1899 saw Mead selected for his only Test match at Lord’s, but he was harmless around the hard pitch. He continued to be near to the top first-class averages for each season from 1899 to 1903 – though in 1901 he was helped by a few horrible Lord’s wickets when playing for that MCC – and within the last-named year was selected like a Cricketer of the season by Wisden after heading the very first-class bowling averages with best match figures of twelve for 76 against Surrey in the Oblong and 15 for 115 against Leicestershire at Leyton.
However, within the 1903/1904 winter Walter Mead’s career with Kent ended temporarily because of a over winter pay. They missed him badly in 1904 and 1905, by 1906 he’d agreed to go back to the eleven. Thinking about the outstanding dryness from the 1906 summer time in your home Counties, he bowled perfectly, as well as in 1907 he was nearly as difficult as always around the soft pitches. In 1908, however, Walter Mead declined badly, taking only 48 County Championship wickets, it had become obvious his best days were over. Despite a small revival in 1910 and 1911, when Mead unsuccessful to take full advantage of continuous soft wickets in 1912 it had been obvious his career was over, to ensure that he dropped from the eleven before 1913 ended despite Kent getting no spin bowler to exchange him.
Mead left the Lord’s ground staff in 1918. His boy, Harold, also performed some first-class cricket for Kent, although he died in 1921 after never fully dealing with wounds he sustained during The First World War. Mead died at age 80-five in 1954.
