Frank Walters Explained

Frank Walters
Fullname:Francis Henry Walters
Birth Date:1860 2, df=yes
Birth Place:East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Death Place:at sea, off Bombay, India
Batting:Right-handed
Bowling:Right-arm medium-pace
Club1:Victoria
Club2:New South Wales
Year2:1895/96
Columns:2
Column1:Tests
Matches1:1
Runs1:12
Bat Avg1:6.00
100S/50S1:0/0
Top Score1:7
Deliveries1:0
Wickets1:0
Bowl Avg1:
Fivefor1:0
Tenfor1:0
Best Bowling1:
Catches/Stumpings1:2/0
Column2:First-class
Matches2:56
Runs2:1755
Bat Avg2:20.17
100S/50S2:4/5
Top Score2:150
Deliveries2:146
Wickets2:1
Bowl Avg2:81.00
Fivefor2:0
Tenfor2:0
Best Bowling2:1/17
Catches/Stumpings2:31/0
International:true
Country:Australia
Testdebutagainst:England
Testdebutdate:21 March
Testdebutyear:1885
Testcap:42
Onetest:true
Lasttestdate:21 March
Lasttestyear:1885
Source:https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/frank-walters-8149 Cricinfo

Francis Henry Walters (9 February 1860 – 1 June 1922) was an Australian cricketer. He played in one Test match in March 1885, and played first-class cricket from 1881 to 1896.[1]

Life and career

Beginning with Victoria in 1880–81, Walters had played six first-class matches, with a top score of 32, when he was selected for his only Test, the Fifth Test against England in 1884–85. Batting in the middle order, he scored 7 and 5, and England won by an innings and thus won the series 3–2.[2] He reached 50 for the first time, and went on to score 122, for The Rest against the Australian XI in 1888–89, and it was probably this innings that led to his selection in the Australian team to tour England in 1890.[3]

Walters was not successful in England, scoring 351 runs at an average of only 10.02.[3] He displayed his best form in the seasons after the tour, when other players were preferred for the Australian team. Opening the innings for Victoria against New South Wales in 1890–91, he scored 106 in a team total of 181.[4]

He moved to Sydney in 1895 after purchasing the Criterion Hotel there, and played a few matches in 1895–96 for New South Wales. All four of his first-class centuries were scored at the Sydney Cricket Ground.[3] Writing after Walters' death, the Test player and journalist Jack Worrall said, "He was class enough for any company in the land as a batsman, though he was particularly slow in the field."[5]

Walters married Clara Louisa Barber in Melbourne in January 1884.[6] He became a prosperous real estate investor in Sydney.[7] He died at sea off Bombay[8] while he and his wife were returning to Australia after an extended holiday in England.[3]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Frank Walters . CricketArchive. 27 March 2022.
  2. Web site: 5th Test, Melbourne, Mar 21 – 25 1885, England tour of Australia . ESPNcricinfo. 27 March 2022.
  3. The Oxford Companion to Australian Cricket, Oxford, Melbourne, 1996, p. 561.
  4. Web site: New South Wales v Victoria 1890-91 . CricketArchive. 27 March 2022.
  5. J.W. . The Death of Frank Walters . The Australasian . 17 June 1922 . 26 .
  6. Marriages . The Argus. Melbourne. 22 January 1909 . 11 .
  7. Well-Known Cricketer . The Sun . 6 June 1922 . 7 .
  8. According to cricket authorities, but contemporary newspaper reports say he died after his ship left Colombo for Sydney.