Page:Cricket, by WG Grace.djvu/404

 against Willsher, James Lillywhite, jun., and Silcock, and was one of the most brilliant innings he ever played. The quality of his batting will be understood when I say there were 2 sixes, 3 fives, 17 fours, and 10 threes in it. It was a rare display, and he was in consistently good form all that year; for in first-class matches he played 19 innings and had an average of 34.

If evidence were wanting of the power of his play in later years, no better illustration can be had than his fine display for Middlesex v. Gloucestershire in the return match at Clifton, in August, 1883, when he was in his 40th year. The Hon. Alfred Lyttelton and he scored 226 in an hour and three-quarters, and while they were together put on 324 runs; Mr. Walker scoring 145, Mr. Lyttelton, 181. I have rarely witnessed a better exhibition of batting. True, after they had both scored 100, we bowled them balls to hit, and placed the field accordingly; but the remarkable part of the display was, that neither made a mistake until the finish, and their hitting at the end of the innings was as clean and hard as at the beginning—certainly a remarkable show of strength and condition for a veteran.

Mr. Walker was also a very good lob bowler, and as captain of Middlesex was much esteemed by his fellow-members. He is a great supporter of the game, and has always taken special interest in the doings of his old school, Harrow. Indeed, it is no secret that since he gave up first-class cricket, and for some time before, he has been in the habit of going down once or twice a week to coach the Harrow boys. He was also a good racquet player, and champion of his school. I might say a great deal more about this, the youngest, and not the least remarkable member of this famous family; for he has been a power in the cricket world, and no finer or truer cricketer ever breathed.