Street George Image 1 Derbyshire 1921

Description

Charlwood, Surrey born wicket-keeper George Street made his first appearance for Sussex in 1909 against Cambridge University scoring 4 not out, batting at 10, and taking two catches. He played five University matches in three seasons before he made his County Championship debut against Somerset in 1912, the year when he became Harry Butt’s successor and began playing regularly for Sussex.

Street scored his maiden half century against Gloucestershire later that season, batting at 10 he made 72 in a ninth wicket stand of 131 with Percy Fender. This was Street’s only fifty in 80 pre First World War first class matches. In 1921 Street scored his maiden century with an innings of 109 against Essex at Colchester, sharing in a 141 run partnership with Vallance Jupp. Street scored two fifties to finish the 1921 season with 617 runs at an average 21.27, the highest average of his career. Having previously been a lower order batsman, Street was given the chance to open the innings for much of the 1922 season. This opportunity enabled him to amass his highest seasonal aggregate of 986 runs; he also took 81 dismissals.

Although not originally in the squad for the M.C.C. tour of South Africa under F.T. Mann’s captaincy in 1922-23, he was summoned when Walter Livsey broke a finger against North Eastern Districts. Livsey’s deputy George Brown played in the first two Tests of the series before Street got his chance in the Third Test at Durban in January 1923. He scored 4 in the first innings and 7 not out in the second innings (when chosen to open), he took one stumping off the bowling of County teammate Jupp. Brown was preferred for the final two Tests. In the match with 15 of the Orange Free State he caught four men and stumped three.

Street took a County record 95 dismissals in the 1923 season, and according to his Wisden obituary “he was at his best”. However this would be his final season as in April 1924 Street was killed in a road accident at Portslade in Sussex aged 34. According to Wisden, “He was riding a motor-cycle and, in endeavouring to avoid a lorry at a cross-roads, crashed into a wall and died immediately.” Street was riding on the main road from Hove where he had attended a boys’ football match. A brewery firm’s lorry had come toward a junction, sounding its horn continuously. Street, who was driving “too fast”, “reached the cross-roads, swerved, accelerated the speed and dashed into a wall”. He fractured his skull. The lorry was stationary when Street passed it, and Street had more than half of the road to himself. An inquest returned a verdict of accidental death.

In 197 first class matches, Street scored 3,984 runs at an average of 17.24 with a single hundred and 12 half centuries. As an occasional bowler he took 3 first class wickets at 22 apiece, recording 3-26 in his only wicket-taking innings. As a wicket keeper he dismissed 429 batsmen, 308 caught and 121 stumped.

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