JAMES STREET, whose death occurred at Godalming on September 17th, dropped out of first-class cricket nearly thirty years ago, so he was merely a name to the present generation, but he did excellent work as a fast bowler for Surrey in the early seventies. Born at Cranleigh on March 10th, 1840, he made his first appearance at Lord"s in 1863, assisting a team of Colts and Professionals, who had never played at Lord"s or the Oval, against the Marylebone club. In the same eleven were John Smith of Cambridgeshire, a great batsman, and one of the finest fieldsmen of his day-Tom Bignall of Notts, and Frank Silcock, the famous bowler who, after assisting several counties in turn, finished his career with Essex. The notes on the match, in Scores and Biographies, state that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales arrived soon after the commencement of the play on the first day, and remained for a short time. It was his first visit to the 'old spot." Street bowled for Surrey in 1864, with Mortlock, Griffith, and Shepherd, but it was four years later, before he found a regular place in the team, and then, in company with James Southerton, he regularly opened the attack. From 1870 to 1875 he never once failed to take over fifty wickets in first-class cricket-no mean achievement in those days of small programmes-and although his career seemed to have closed with the season of 1876, Surrey fell upon evil days two summers later, and Street, although thirty-eight years of age, turned out again and took over twenty wickets. Although spoken of as a good free hitter, his best score was 50 against Middlesex at the Oval in 1870. So accurate was he in his bowling that, it is stated, he sent down for Surrey in 1875 no fewer than 3,043 balls, of which only one was a wide. Street, after his active days as a cricketer, umpired in first-class matches for several years. Without ever ranking as a great bowler, he did sound and skilful work for Surrey in the days between the famous years of that county and the revival in the middle of the eighties under Mr. John Shuter.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack