He is that player who heads up a number of our club records in the CMCA Annual Report.

…. and his name will continue to adorn Christchurch cricket records ad infinitum.

He was born in 1886.

His representative career saw him play for Canterbury in 1905 as an 18 year old. Following the 1914-18 Great War, he now became a regular fixture in this team. There was nothing particularly startling in this other than it remains the longest period between matches for a Canterbury player. He was to be a permanent selection for the next eleven seasons.

Thereafter, he missed seven seasons only to be recalled a second time in 1937-38 at the age of 51.

At the age of 41, Read was selected for New Zealand.

Another record that he held saw him bowl 584 balls in a match against Auckland. He claimed 188 wickets at first-class level and made 1023 runs in 44 matches.

So, other than longevity, his actual stats are not remarkable.

But it is his club record that is staggering!

He played his club cricket, largely for Lancaster Park, from 1905 to 1943.

He played at least 322 senior matches and probably over 340 as the keeping of records during the war years of 1941-42 and 1942-43 was largely skimpy. He took 1645 wickets (probably more). His batting aggregate was 8,394 (probably more). He was the top bowler for 12 seasons and took five wickets in an innings 132 times! He took 10 or more wickets in a match 22 times.

The closest player to Reg is Bruce Irving who played 306 matches (also for Lancaster Park) and took 1,139 wickets.

Coincidentally, both were off spin bowlers.

Former Canterbury captain, Dan Reese said of Read:

“he had beautiful economy and rhythm of action that made him a model bowler and able to go on tirelessly for many overs, the last of them as dangerous as the first.”

That doyen of New Zealand cricket writers, Dick Brittenden said of Read:

“he was tall and strong and able to bowl with unremitting accuracy for long periods turning his off breaks at brisk pace or running the ball away with his outswinger”.

Acknowledgements:

RT Brittenden - A Century of Cricket; Papanui Press (1973)

BC Adams - Canterbury First Class Cricketers; Design Print Solutions Volume 3

Article added: Friday 21 May 2021