George Street (cricketer)

George Benjamin Street (6 December 1889 – 24 April 1924) was an English cricketer who played in one Test in 1923. For his domestic side Sussex he was their regular wicket-keeper from 1912, when he succeeded Harry Butt, until his death.

Cricket career

Born in Charlwood, Surrey, Street made his first-class debut in 1909 against Cambridge University scoring 4 not out, batting at 10, and taking two catches.^[1]

Street played five university matches in three seasons before he made his County Championship debut against Somerset in 1912.^[2]

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.^[3] This was Street's only fifty in eighty pre-war first-class matches.^[4]

In 1921 Street scored his maiden century with an innings of 109 against Essex, sharing in a 141 run partnership with Vallance Jupp.^[5] Street scored two fifties to finish the 1921 season with 617 runs at an average 21.27, the highest average of his career.^[4]

Having previously been a lower-order batsman, Street was given the chance to open the innings for much of the 1922 season these opportunities enabling him to his highest seasonal aggregate of 986 runs, he also took 81 dismissals.^[4]

Although not originally in the MCC squad for the tour of South Africa, he was summoned when Walter Livsey broke a finger against North Eastern Districts.^[6] 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. 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.^[7] Brown was preferred for the final two Tests.

Street took a county record 95 dismissals in the 1923 season,^[8] and according to his Wisden obituary "he was at his best".^[9] However this would be his final season.

In April 1924 Street was killed in a road accident, 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."^[9] 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 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 him and Street had more than half of the road for himself. An inquest returned a verdict of accidental death. ^[10]

References