Walter Hammond - One of the most stunning batsmen in the early days of cricket

Walter Hammond – One of the most stunning batsmen in the early days of cricket: Walter Reginald “Wally” Hammond was a sensational cricketing legend during the early days of Cricket. A person with a 31-year long cricketing career is something noteworthy. The English legend, apart from playing for England at the international level, also played for Gloucestershire at county and was, in short a brilliant batsman with good capabilities to bowl as well.

At various levels, Wally Hammond is often regarded as perhaps one of the best batsmen in International Cricket. The Wisden even admires the greatness of this England legend. It says, “The judgment of cricket history is that the greatest batsmen the game has known are – in order of appearance, only – WG Grace, Jack Hobbs, Walter Hammond and Don Bradman.”

A glance at his first class career would clearly indicate the gigantic stature of the former Reginald in Cricket. In the span 1920-1951, Wally Hammond scored a total of 50,493 runs with 167 centuries at an average of 56.10. In the tests too, Hammond stands to be the master of 22 test centuries with a total of 7249 runs in 85 tests in his career. During such days, when batting against the fiery pace bowlers without any helmet was something that required a brave heart. Hammond made things look pretty easy by his intensified consistency with the bat.

In his 140 test innings, Hammond averaged 58.45 in his career. Apart from being a brilliant batsman, he was incredibly good on the field too and holds a number of 110 catches in his test career. Also, he was quite good as a bowler too. In his 110 innings of test bowling, the right arm medium fast bowler took a total of 83 wickets with the best bowling performances of 5/36 in an innings.

The former English skipper was indeed a brilliant batsman with destructive instinct. The moment he walked down the crease, with his white-spotted blue handkerchief popping out of his right pocket, the opposition had a sense of fear as he was capable of changing things around in quite a single handed fashion. Also as a matter of fact, this legendary cricketer did turn many a matches in favour of England and was perhaps a pivotal character in the English team in the 1930s.

However, due to a series of losses at conclusive phases of his career, Hammond retired from international cricket on a rather sad note and played his last test against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1947.

The legendary was born on 19^th day of June in 1903. The day, by itself holds the significance of producing such a legendary cricketer of the game. Hammond passed away on the first of July, 1965.

On his birthday, we wish the former English batsman and perhaps on the best batsmen of his era, Walter Hammond a very Happy Birthday from the entire team of CricTracker.