Tom Walker (Cricketer) (Paperback)

High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Thomas "Tom" Walker (16 November, 1762 - 1 March, 1831) was an English cricketer who played for Hampshire in the days of the Hambledon Club and later for Surrey. He was famous for his brilliant defensive batting. He is also credited with introducing, roundarm bowling, the predecessor of modern overarm bowling.Walker was born in Churt, near Frensham, Surrey. Known as "Old Everlasting," he was one of the greatest batsmen of the late 18th century and was also a very useful bowler. He is believed to have been the originator of the roundarm bowling style. Legend has it that he and some of his fellow players in the "Hambledon Era" used to practise in a barn during the winters. Walker worked out that he could generate more bounce and variation of pace if he bowled with his arm away from his body and soon realised that these deliveries gave the batsman added problems. He failed to get the new style accepted during his career although he sowed the seeds of a bowling revolution that took place a generation later.