Tom Richardson (cricketer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tom Richardson

Richardson in 1897
Personal information
Born	(1870-08-11)11 August 1870 Byfleet, Surrey, England
Died	2 July 1912(1912-07-02) (aged 41) Chambéry, France
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast
International information
National side	England
Test debut	24 August 1893 v Australia
Last Test	2 March 1898 v Australia
Career statistics
Competition Tests First-class Matches 14 358 Runs scored 177 3,424 Batting average 11.06 9.64 100s/50s 0/0 0/2 Top score 25* 69 Balls bowled 4,498 78,992 Wickets 88 2,104 Bowling average 25.22 18.43 5 wickets in innings 11 200 10 wickets in match 4 72 Best bowling 8/94 10/45 Catches/stumpings 5/– 126/–
Source: CricInfo, 23 December 2018

Tom Richardson (born August 11, 1870 – died July 2, 1912) was a famous English cricket player. He was known as a fast bowler. This means he threw the ball very quickly towards the batter.

Richardson was very good at making the ball move in a special way. He used a long run-up and a high arm when he bowled. This helped the ball bounce sharply, even on fast cricket pitches. He played in 358 important matches, called first-class cricket games. This included 14 Test matches, which are the highest level of the sport.

During his career, Tom Richardson took an amazing 2,104 wickets. A wicket is when a bowler gets a batter out. From 1894 to 1897, he took 1,005 wickets in just four years. This was a record for a fast bowler. In 1895 alone, he took 290 wickets. Later, in 1963, a famous cricket writer named Neville Cardus chose him as one of the "Six Giants of the Wisden Century." This shows how important he was in cricket history.

Early Cricket Days

Tom Richardson was born in Byfleet, England. He started playing for his home team, Surrey County Cricket Club, in 1892. He quickly showed how talented he was. In some smaller games, he took 15 wickets against Essex. This was a very good start.

In 1893, Tom became one of the best wicket-takers in England. This was a big surprise to many. He took 11 wickets against the Australian team visiting England. He also took 10 wickets in a Test match against Australia. People were impressed by his speed and how long he could keep bowling.

At first, some people thought his bowling action looked like a "throw." But Tom worked hard to make sure his arm was straight when he bowled. Soon, no one complained about it anymore. In 1894, he became even more famous. He almost reached 200 wickets that year. His average of 10.32 runs per wicket was amazing. This means batters scored very few runs off his bowling.

Tom's ability to bowl fast in hot weather during a tour in Australia in 1894-1895 was very impressive. In one match, he bowled 55 overs without getting tired. In another game, his powerful bowling helped England win the match.

The next year, 1895, was even better for Tom. He set a new record by taking 290 wickets. He bowled 8,491 balls at a very fast speed. In 1896, Tom's bowling helped England win a match at Lord's. He got the Australian team out for only 53 runs. In another match, he bowled for three hours without stopping. He took six wickets and almost won the game for England.

During this time, Tom Richardson was named a Cricketer of the Year. In 1897, he took 273 wickets. From 1894 to 1897, he took 1,005 wickets. No other fast bowler has ever taken so many wickets in four years.

Later Career and Retirement

Tom Richardson went to Australia again in 1897-1898. This tour marked the end of his most successful years. He had one great performance, taking eight wickets in a Test match. But when he came back to England, it was clear he was not as strong as before.

He could not bowl as many overs as he used to. His body was no longer able to handle the huge amount of work. His number of wickets dropped from 237 to 126 in one year.

In 1899, Tom's performance continued to decline. He was injured and could not play the first few games. He also gained weight. He still had some good games, but he did not take 100 wickets that season. Because of this, he was not chosen for the Test team.

Tom showed some improvement in 1900, taking 122 wickets. In 1901, he took 159 wickets, including good performances against South Africa and Yorkshire. However, the next two summers were difficult for fast bowlers. Tom continued to work hard, and sometimes he showed flashes of his old skill. But it was clear that his weight was affecting his game. In 1904, he was not bowling well. He was dropped from the team and did not play for Surrey again.

Tom Richardson later lived in Bath. He played one game for Somerset in 1905. But it was clear he could no longer play serious cricket. He passed away at the age of 41 from a heart attack. This happened while he was on holiday in Chambéry, France. He was buried in Richmond Cemetery.

Honored by Wisden

In 1963, the famous Wisden Cricketers' Almanack honored Tom Richardson. Neville Cardus chose him as one of the Six Giants of the Wisden Century. This was a special award for Wisden's 100th edition. The other five players chosen were Sydney Barnes, Don Bradman, W G Grace, Jack Hobbs, and Victor Trumper. This shows that Tom Richardson is remembered as one of the greatest cricketers of all time.