A profile of Walter Brearley by Dave Liverman

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Player:

W Brearley

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Immortalized in the prose of Neville Cardus, Walter Brearley has above all a character. A fast bowler in a period when the hard work was usually done by the professionals, he put immense effort into bowling as fast as he could. A big man, he bowled from eight paces, starting with an odd sideways step, and used all his considerable bulk and strength to deliver what was probably the fastest bowling in England in the first decade of the century. He could move the ball away late, but preferred to rely on changing his angle of attack using the crease, and sheer pace. He was no batsman, and Cardus spread the story of the Old Trafford horse positioning itself between the shafts of the heavy roller when Brearley vaulted the pavilion gate. He possessed enormous stamina, bowling as fast at the end of the day as at the beginning, and possessed an unshakable faith in his own ability, and the inability of any batsman to withstand his attack.

(Article: Copyright © 1998 Dave Liverman)