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disappointing 1897/1898 tour with eight wickets for 94 in the first innings of the fifth Test, but as soon as he returned to
England his decline was plain for all to see. Indeed, in the first two months of the season Richardson accomplished almost no performance of note, and even when he improved from the beginning of July onwards, Surrey could no longer rely on him to bowl over after over on the extremely true Oval pitches; his body could no longer carry the workload of previous years. In a few games late in the season at the Oval, against Yorkshire (when Surrey inflicted that county's biggest defeat) and Warwickshire (when he took a career-best 15 for 83 on a pitch offering no help), he appeared as potent as the bowler of 1897. Nevertheless, his haul of wickets in the
424:, and especially the speed and stamina showed in them, already marked Richardson as one of the game's top bowlers. Although early in the year it was thought by many that his delivery constituted a throw, Richardson worked on straightening his arm and adverse comments were rarely heard again. In 1894, Richardson cemented his reputation with consistent performances: he would have reached 200 wickets but for a thigh strain in June and his average of 10.32 has never been equalled since, whilst his astonishing strike rate of 23 balls per wicket has never been approached subsequently. It was his performances in Australia during the 1894/1895 tour – maintaining speed under hot weather – that attracted attention. In the first Test at the
492:
125) and
Yorkshire (7 for 105 in one innings). The following two summers were all against fast bowlers, and Richardson naturally suffered. He remained a strenuous worker, and when helped by the pitch (as at Sheffield in 1903) Richardson could still show glimpses of the great mid-1890s bowler. Nonetheless, it was clear to all who observed him that his weight would catch up with him soon, and in 1904 Richardson bowled so ineffectively that he was dropped at the end of May and not re-engaged by Surrey at the end of the year.
31:
444:, which England lost by three wickets, after bowling 390 balls in the first innings in perfect batting conditions (taking seven for 168), when Australia were set 125 to win on a pitch showing no sign of wear, Richardson was able to bowl 178 balls without a rest, take six for 76 and almost win England a seemingly lost game. It is said that he did not bowl one bad ball during this spell of three hours and
474:
Richardson was chosen to tour
Australia in 1897/1898, but this was where his successful years ended. Richardson was always a heavy drinker, but around this time the habit became unmanageable and his weight began increasing, thus reducing his speed and stamina. He produced one great performance on the
487:
Prevented from playing the first few games by injury and unable to contain his excessive drinking and increasing weight, Richardson declined still more sharply in 1899. Though after returning to the Surrey eleven he produced some impressive performances (notably against Kent at the Oval), Richardson
491:
However, Richardson showed some improvement in 1900, increasing his haul of wickets from 98 to 122 and taking 14 wickets for 185 runs at Leyton, whilst in 1901 on the best of wickets almost throughout the year he took 159 wickets including impressive performances against the South
Africans (11 for
431:
The following year saw
Richardson go from strength to strength both in dry weather and when the pitches became treacherous after mid-July. Despite having to bowl 8,491 balls at a great pace, he never showed any sign of losing his form and set a new record in taking 290 wickets (bettered only by
454:
recorded the scene when
Australia crept home by three wickets: "His body still shook from the violent motion. He stood there like some fine animal baffled at the uselessness of great strength and effort in this world... A companion led him to the pavilion, and there he fell wearily to a seat."
488:
failed to take 100 wickets for the season. As a result, he was out of the running for Test selection, and the benefit Surrey gave him for his service between 1893 and 1897 was much less lucrative than everybody had hoped despite Surrey winning the
Championship.
364:, Richardson relied to a great extent on the break-back (a fast ball moving from off to leg), a relatively long run-up and high arm which allowed him to gain sharp lift on fast pitches even from the full, straight length he always bowled. He played 358
415:
declining rapidly in health, Richardson made a totally unexpected advance to be the second-highest wicket-taker in the country in 1893. Performances of 11 for 95 for Surrey against the touring
Australians and
499:, and played once for Somerset in 1905, but it was clear from his failure then that he could no longer play serious cricket. His weight gain, combined with a congenital heart abnormality, resulted in a fatal
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and in 1897 took 273 wickets at the same cost as in 1895. In the four consecutive seasons 1894 to 1897 he took 1,005 wickets, a figure unequalled by any fast bowler before or since.
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372:, taking a total of 2,104 wickets. In the four consecutive seasons from 1894 to 1897 he took 1,005 wickets, a figure surpassed over such a period only by the slow bowler
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515:), he had been in good health and spirits before leaving England. A widespread rumour that he had committed suicide was disproved by research carried out by
459:
suggests the truth was somewhat more prosaic. Richardson was the first off the field and had sunk two pints before anyone else had their boots off.
428:, he bowled 55 overs without losing his speed, and in the last his energetic bowling without help from the pitch directly won England the match.
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Although he was not required on a wet wicket in the last Test (and nearly withdrew over a pay dispute), Richardson was named a
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545:. This was a special commemorative selection requested by Wisden for its 100th edition. The other five players chosen were
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in 1892. He showed promise with some strong performances in minor matches, notably fifteen wickets against
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dismissed
Australia for 53 and won England the match. During the following Test at
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fell from 237 to 126 and their cost from about 14 runs per wicket to over 21.
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436:, a slow bowler, in 1928 and 1933). In 1896, Richardson's bowling at
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610:"3rd Test: England v Australia at Manchester, Aug 24–26, 1893"
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dropped a catch off his bowling when
Australia were 99 for 7.
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at the age of 41, whilst on a summer walking holiday in
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With Surrey's bowling mainstay for the previous decade
714:
London Cemeteries: An Illustrated Guide and Gazetteer
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Cricketers who have taken five wickets on Test debut
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Cricketers who have taken ten wickets in an innings
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511:. According to a number of sources (including
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772:Tom Richardson: A Bowler Pure and Simple
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758:, 1963. Retrieved on 8 November 2008.
408:record that season was only moderate.
353:(11 August 1870 – 2 July 1912) was an
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712:Meller, Hugh; Parsons, Brian (2011).
702:, Chatto and Windus, 1967, pp123-126.
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800:Wisden Cricketer of the Year article
663:The Playfair Book of Cricket Records
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688:List of first-class cricket records
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927:English cricketers of 1890 to 1918
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652:. Jubilee Edition; part I, p. 157
649:John Wisden’s Cricketer’s Almanac
635:John Wisden’s Cricketers’ Almanac
599:. Jubilee Edition; part I, p. 197
596:John Wisden’s Cricketer’s Almanac
845:Six Giants of the Wisden Century
746:Six Giants of the Wisden Century
543:Six Giants of the Wisden Century
396:, England, and first played for
382:Six Giants of the Wisden Century
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982:A. E. Stoddart's XI cricketers
977:C. I. Thornton's XI cricketers
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957:Wisden Cricketers of the Year
646:Pardon, Sydney H. ed. (1913)
633:Pardon, Sydney H. ed. (1894)
593:Pardon, Sydney H. ed. (1913)
568:
537:, Richardson was selected by
972:Burials at Richmond Cemetery
380:selected him as one of his "
7:
774:. ACS Publications. 2012.
755:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
676:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
582:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
534:Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
519:. Richardson was buried in
131:24 August 1893 v
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674:Wright, Graeme ed. (1987)
665:. Haymarket Books. p. 173.
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107:International information
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952:North v South cricketers
932:London County cricketers
495:At the time he lived in
917:England Test cricketers
661:Webber, Roy ed. (1951)
531:In the 1963 edition of
392:Richardson was born in
987:Cricketers from Surrey
584:, 2008 edition, p322.
464:Cricketer of the Year
368:matches including 14
724:. pp. 290–294.
279:5 wickets in innings
41:Personal information
937:Somerset cricketers
912:People from Byfleet
720:, Gloucestershire:
477:County Championship
366:first-class cricket
291:10 wickets in match
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947:Players cricketers
922:English cricketers
716:(fifth ed.).
527:Honoured by Wisden
35:Richardson in 1897
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942:Surrey cricketers
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722:The History Press
700:Ten Great Bowlers
521:Richmond Cemetery
513:Herbert Strudwick
398:his native county
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154:Career statistics
16:English cricketer
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678:. pp. 157–158
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637:. 31st edition
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563:Victor Trumper
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617:. Retrieved
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517:Ralph Barker
501:heart attack
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490:
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483:Later career
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442:Old Trafford
434:Tich Freeman
430:
410:
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388:Early career
374:Tich Freeman
350:
349:
302:Best bowling
94:Right-handed
77:(1912-07-02)
18:
907:1912 deaths
902:1870 births
686:, see also
619:13 December
551:Don Bradman
457:David Frith
446:J.T. Hearne
406:first-class
362:fast bowler
189:Runs scored
172:First-class
163:Competition
75:2 July 1912
896:Categories
876:Richardson
569:References
559:Jack Hobbs
422:third Test
418:10 for 156
128:Test debut
52:1870-08-11
793: at
555:W G Grace
358:cricketer
315:stumpings
224:Top score
144:Australia
139:Last Test
133:Australia
66:, England
505:Chambéry
338:CricInfo
336:Source:
313:Catches/
213:100s/50s
85:, France
83:Chambéry
881:Trumper
861:Bradman
470:Decline
420:in the
394:Byfleet
355:English
253:Wickets
178:Matches
119:England
99:Bowling
91:Batting
60:Byfleet
856:Barnes
778:
728:
718:Stroud
682:
561:, and
509:France
438:Lord's
247:78,992
241:bowled
64:Surrey
871:Hobbs
866:Grace
402:Essex
370:Tests
360:. A
322:126/–
308:10/45
273:18.43
270:25.22
260:2,104
244:4,498
239:Balls
205:11.06
195:3,424
167:Tests
776:ISBN
726:ISBN
680:ISBN
621:2011
497:Bath
305:8/94
208:9.64
72:Died
46:Born
807:at
426:SCG
384:".
319:5/–
286:200
219:0/2
216:0/0
192:177
184:358
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50:(
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