Matthew Walker (English cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Matthew Jonathan Walker is an English
cricket
er, who played for Kent County Cricket Club
until 2008. He now plays for Essex County Cricket Club
.
, Walker made his first appearance for Kent in a second-team match against Lancashire
in 1990. He continued to play in the second eleven for two seasons, after which he was called up to the England Under-19 squad for their tour of Pakistan
.
The tour started poorly for Walker, only making one score of note in the "Test" series. However, he managed to average
48.00 in the limited-overs games that followed. He continued to appear for the England under-19 team until the end of the West Indian tour of England, by which time he had earnt an average of 42.07 from 12 youth Tests.
Walker was selected for Kent's first-team for the first time during the side's 1993 pre-season tour of Zimbabwe
. Against a Zimbabwean 'B' team, Walker scored 23 not out
and 16 in a drawn match. Despite the promise shown on the tour, Walker would not play for the first-team for another fifteen months.
His List A debut came on 17 July 1994, in a Sunday League match against Worcestershire
. In nine matches that season, Walker averaged 23.37.
In first-class cricket
, Walker has had three seasons where he has finished with a batting average
of over fifty; in 1996
, 2004
and 2006
. 1996 saw Walker hit the highest score of his career to date, on his way to 606 runs at an average of 60.60. Against a Somerset attack without Andrew Caddick
, Walker compiled 275 not out
in nine-and-a-half hours before his captain Trevor Ward
declared the innings at 616/7. The Daily Telegraph
's Christopher Martin-Jenkins
wrote of the innings: "It was an innings of style and substance, memorable for powerful driving through the off-side and hearty pulling whenever a persevering but ordinary Somerset attack became impatient with line and length and tried to extract a spring in the pitch which simply was not there." It remains the highest score by a Kent batsman at the St Lawrence Ground
.
Despite the talent he had shown during his innings against Somerset, he found the next few seasons difficult. In an interview with All Out Cricket
magazine, he said "I’d had a bit of first team cricket, and was dropped and managed to work my way back into the team in the second half of the year but just couldn’t get it right." For four seasons, between 1997 and 2000, Walker consistently averaged in the mid-twenties, scoring just one century in the process. Since then, he has scored over one thousand runs in a season on three occasions.
Walker's most productive season in terms of run-scoring was 2006
, in which he scored 1,419 runs at the average of 61.19. In the game against Lancashire
that year, he came close to adding a second career double-century to his name. However, he was dismissed on 197, run out
after collapsing with cramp. His run-scoring throughout 2006 earnt him Kent's Player of the Year award.
Walker was appointed List A captain
of Kent for the second half of the 2005 season
, following the resignation of David Fulton
. However, he was unable to lead the team any higher than eighth in the second division of the Pro40 League.
In 2007, Walker hit the highest score of the innings in Kent's victory over Gloucestershire
in the Twenty20 Cup
Final. However, after finding first-team opportunities limited during 2008, he was released by Kent and signed for Essex
on a two year contract.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who played for Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
until 2008. He now plays for Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
.
Early career
After enjoying a prolific school cricket record at The King's School, RochesterThe King's School, Rochester
The King's School, Rochester is an independent school in Rochester, Kent. It is a cathedral school, and being part of the foundation of Rochester Cathedral, the Dean of Rochester Cathedral serves as the chair of the school's governing body...
, Walker made his first appearance for Kent in a second-team match against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
in 1990. He continued to play in the second eleven for two seasons, after which he was called up to the England Under-19 squad for their tour of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
The tour started poorly for Walker, only making one score of note in the "Test" series. However, he managed to average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
48.00 in the limited-overs games that followed. He continued to appear for the England under-19 team until the end of the West Indian tour of England, by which time he had earnt an average of 42.07 from 12 youth Tests.
Professional career
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. Against a Zimbabwean 'B' team, Walker scored 23 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
and 16 in a drawn match. Despite the promise shown on the tour, Walker would not play for the first-team for another fifteen months.
His List A debut came on 17 July 1994, in a Sunday League match against Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
. In nine matches that season, Walker averaged 23.37.
In first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
, Walker has had three seasons where he has finished with a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of over fifty; in 1996
1996 English cricket season
The 1996 English cricket season saw England host tours by India and Pakistan, who each played three Tests and three ODIs. Against India, England were unbeaten, winning the Test series 1-0 and the ODI series 2-0...
, 2004
2004 English cricket season
The 2004 English cricket season saw the English cricket team record a 4-0 Test series whitewash over the West Indies. Their one-day form was poor, however. In the Natwest Trophy, they failed to make the final, which saw New Zealand defeat the West Indies by 107 runs. And in the Natwest Challenge,...
and 2006
2006 English cricket season
The 2006 English cricket season includes home international series for England against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. England are coming off a winter with more Test losses than wins, for the first time since 2002-03, but still attained their best series result in India since 1985...
. 1996 saw Walker hit the highest score of his career to date, on his way to 606 runs at an average of 60.60. Against a Somerset attack without Andrew Caddick
Andrew Caddick
Andrew Richard Caddick is a retired cricketer who played for England as a fast-medium bowler. At 6 ft 5in, Caddick was a successful bowler for England for a decade, taking 13 five-wicket hauls in Test matches...
, Walker compiled 275 not out
Not out
In cricket, a batsman will be not out if he comes out to bat in an innings and has not been dismissed by the end of the innings. One may similarly describe a batsman as not out while the innings is still in progress...
in nine-and-a-half hours before his captain Trevor Ward
Trevor Ward
Trevor Robert Ward is an English cricketer. A right-handed batsman and is also an occasional off-spin bowler. Ward has played county cricket for Kent and Leicestershire....
declared the innings at 616/7. The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
's Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Christopher Martin-Jenkins
Christopher Dennis Alexander Martin-Jenkins MBE, also known as CMJ , is a cricket journalist and Past President of the MCC. He is also a commentator for Test Match Special on BBC Radio....
wrote of the innings: "It was an innings of style and substance, memorable for powerful driving through the off-side and hearty pulling whenever a persevering but ordinary Somerset attack became impatient with line and length and tried to extract a spring in the pitch which simply was not there." It remains the highest score by a Kent batsman at the St Lawrence Ground
St Lawrence Ground
The St Lawrence Ground is a cricket ground in Canterbury, Kent and is the home of Kent County Cricket Club. It is one of the oldest grounds on which first-class cricket is played, having been in use since 1847...
.
Despite the talent he had shown during his innings against Somerset, he found the next few seasons difficult. In an interview with All Out Cricket
All Out Cricket
All Out Cricket is a monthly English cricket magazine which features county and international players in a contemporary lifestyle manner. Published by the Professional Cricketers' Association and Trinorth, a specialist cricket publisher, it was launched in April 2004. It is edited by Andy Afford, a...
magazine, he said "I’d had a bit of first team cricket, and was dropped and managed to work my way back into the team in the second half of the year but just couldn’t get it right." For four seasons, between 1997 and 2000, Walker consistently averaged in the mid-twenties, scoring just one century in the process. Since then, he has scored over one thousand runs in a season on three occasions.
Walker's most productive season in terms of run-scoring was 2006
2006 English cricket season
The 2006 English cricket season includes home international series for England against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. England are coming off a winter with more Test losses than wins, for the first time since 2002-03, but still attained their best series result in India since 1985...
, in which he scored 1,419 runs at the average of 61.19. In the game against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
that year, he came close to adding a second career double-century to his name. However, he was dismissed on 197, run out
Run out
Run out is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. It is governed by Law 38 of the Laws of cricket.-The rules:A batsman is out Run out if at any time while the ball is in play no part of his bat or person is grounded behind the popping crease and his wicket is fairly put down by the opposing...
after collapsing with cramp. His run-scoring throughout 2006 earnt him Kent's Player of the Year award.
Walker was appointed List A captain
Captain (cricket)
The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
of Kent for the second half of the 2005 season
2005 English cricket season
Before the beginning of the 2005 English cricket season began, a resurgent English cricket team had won four Test series in a row, going unbeaten through the 2004 calendar year. The start of the international season saw England defeat Bangladesh 2–0 in their two-match series, winning both Tests by...
, following the resignation of David Fulton
David Fulton
David Paul Fulton is a former English cricketer. He was a right-handed opening batsman, who occasionally bowled left-arm orthodox spin. He played first-class cricket for Kent for 15 years until 2006...
. However, he was unable to lead the team any higher than eighth in the second division of the Pro40 League.
In 2007, Walker hit the highest score of the innings in Kent's victory over Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
in the Twenty20 Cup
Twenty20 Cup
The Twenty20 Cup was a cricket competition for English and Welsh county clubs.In 2010, it has been replaced by Friends Provident t20 as the domestic Twenty20 competition.-History:...
Final. However, after finding first-team opportunities limited during 2008, he was released by Kent and signed for Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
on a two year contract.