Walter Livsey

Walter Herbert Livsey (23 September 1893 – 12 September 1978) was an English cricketer for Hampshire from 1913 until 1929. A wicket-keeper, Livsey played 320 first-class matches and was considered one of the greatest keepers of the 1920s with 649 dismissals. He was also a tidy keeper, allowing only three byes during Oxford's 554–run innings in his first match. For this success he became Hampshire's regular keeper, and performed a noted stumping of Jack Hobbs in 1914. He fought during World War I, and was demobilised for the 1920 season. He continued at Hampshire until 1929, when his health forced him into retirement.

Livsey was born in Todmorden, Yorkshire, and was registered at birth as Walter Herbert Livesey, though he would use Livsey for the rest of his life. Initially, Livsey hoped to find a career at The Oval however the form of Bert Strudwick, who would later play 28 tests for England and took 1237 catches and 258 stumpings in first-class cricket, meant that he could not find a place. He was later persuaded to move to Hampshire to begin his cricketing career.

Livsey's debut for Hampshire came on 30 June 1913 against Oxford University CC at the County Ground, Southampton. He scored 11* and 7*, taking two catches and making one stumping. He allowed only three byes in the University's first innings of 554. Such tidy keeping prompted Hampshire to take Livsey on as their regular keeper. He played his first full season the following year, playing 28 matches in all. Batting at number ten in the order, Livsey was not out on many occasions, 20 of his 37 innings during this season alone and across his whole career he was not out on 137 occasions. He scored only 130 runs in the 1914 season, with a high score of 42* and an average of 7.64, however he took 39 catches and completed 23 stumpings. The most famous of these, of Surrey player Jack Hobbs, was made on 23 July 1914 during a 3-day match at Portsmouth. Hobbs, on three, was bowled a "sharply lifting ball" by Alec Kennedy which was passing wide of leg stump. Livsey was able to retrieve the ball and remove the bails before Hobbs could get back behind the crease. This dismissal, of such a prestigious player, caused "quite a sensation" according to the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.