One of the last great lobsters

Walter Humphreys © Cricinfo

There has been some correspondence in The Cricketer recently concerning the last first-clans exponents of under-arm bowling. This certainly provides food for thought, and thus stimulated the student of cricket history can reel off a list of strategists in this dead art. Mr. E. L. Roberts has reminded us of the greatest "lobsters" to appear in Test cricket, but no one has yet given a description of the greatest one who hasn't. The writer refers to Walter Humphreys of Sussex and Hampshire, of course.

Strangely enough, Humphreys, who was born in October, 1849, was not originally played for his bowling. When he first appeared for Sussex in 1871, Lillywhite's Companion referred to him as a very improving bat and a fine field at point." He could also keep wicket. It was not till nine years later that he developed the lob bowling which gained him his celebrity.

He began studying lob-bowling in 1880, and gained his first successes that year. In September, playing for Sussex against the Australians, he performed the hat-trick, getting rid of Grouhe, A. Bannerman and Blackharn, and in all claimed 17 wickets in first-class matches that year.

However, for three years, that performance was regarded as a flash in the pan, and it was not until 1884 that he recovered his form. Fifty five wickets at 18.4 runs apiece fell to him, and again he unsettled an Australian team, performing another hat-trick for Sussex against them. Again, in 1888, he fell upon the Australians like a wolf on a fold and claimed 5 for 21 and 4 for 19, thus helping his county to victory.

Humphreys was very clever in disguising his intentions with the ball and W. L. Murdoch, the great Australian, who scored 286 not out against Sussex in 1882, paid him a fine compliment, by saying: " Even when I had made 200 runs I could not tell from watching his hand which way he meant to turn the ball."

In 1894-95 he went with Stoddart's team to Australia, but the experiment was not a success. He was past his zenith and had no terrors for the class batsmen, although he proved a success in up-country games. Consequently, he was not picked for any of the Test matches.

Humphreys retired from the Sussex XI after the season of 1896, having taken 767 wickets for just under 20 runs apiece for them. His greatest year was that of 1893 when he claimed 150 wickets at 171 runs apiece. His photograph appears in that wonderful portrait gallery Famous Cricketers and Cricket Grounds (published in 1895), wherein it is written of him: " During the last ten years (1884-1894) his lobs have been one of quite the best features of Sussex cricket."

1900 saw the once famous lob-bowler turn out for Hampshire, but as Wisden said: " His day was so obviously over that he quickly retired from the public gaze."

Walter Humphreys died at Brighton in March, 1924, in his 75th year.