Richard Gorton Barlow

Martin Chandler | 9:01am GMT 06 March 2022

Published: 2022
Pages: 20
Author: Tebay, Martin
Publisher: Red Rose Books
Rating: 3.5 stars

With this one Martin Tebay begins a new series of Lancashire cricket monographs, this time entitled Initial Century in First Class Cricket, which therefore has plenty of scope for interesting further projects.

The series opener looks at Victorian professional Dick Barlow, one of the run stealers immortalised in Francis Thompson’s famous poem, At Lord’s. An all-rounder good enough to be selected for England 17 times it is a little surprising to learn that Barlow only reached his century four times in his long career, and that it took thirteen seasons for the first of the four to come.

Unsurprisingly first centuries tend to come against weaker opposition and in favourable conditions. In that respect Barlow certainly bucked the trend. His first century came against the 1884 Australians, and in batting conditions that were far from ideal.

The 1884 Australians were not one of the great Australian sides, losing the three match Test series 1-0, but they had the better of the two draws, and their attack was spearheaded by two fine bowlers, Fred ‘The Demon’ Spofforth and Harry Boyle.

Towards the end of their trip the Australians played against the North of England at Trent Bridge. The scratch side comprised eight men from the strong Nottinghamshire side of the era plus Yorkshiremen Billy Bates and Edmund Peate, and Barlow making up the eleven. All of the men were England players.

In addition to his century Barlow also starred with the ball, taking 4-6 and 6-42 in an impressive 170 run victory for the Englishmen. The fact that the Australians could manage nothing better than all out scores of 100 and 76 serves only to underline the value of Barlow’s 101 in the North’s second innings.

The format of Richard Gorton Barlow is similar to many of Martin Tebay’s previous monographs in that it is in essence a detailed reconstruction of the match, bookended by a short introduction, a scorecard and a brief afterword, containing Barlow’s own assessment of his innings as he gave in his autobiography – modest is not the word to describe that one!

In addition to the narrative there are also four photographs included in what is another attractive production from Red Rose Books. The booklet, complete with the deliberate mistake on the front cover no doubt designed to check his reader is awake, is available from the publisher in a limited edition of 30 copies at £6.99 inclusive of UK postage and packing and, in the fullness of time, a few copies will be available in Australia from Roger Page.