Maurice Read
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 England (Eng) |
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| Batting style | Right-handed batsman (RHB) | |
| Bowling type | Right arm fast-medium (RFM) | |
| Tests | First-class | |
| Matches | 17 | 380 |
| Runs scored | 461 | 14,008 |
| Batting average | 17.07 | 24.66 |
| 100s/50s | 0/2 | 11/70 |
| Top score | 57 | 186* |
| Balls bowled | 0 | 3,912 |
| Wickets | N/A | 73 |
| Bowling average | N/A | 24.75 |
| 5 wickets in innings | N/A | 1 |
| 10 wickets in match | N/A | 0 |
| Best bowling | N/A | 6-41 |
| Catches/stumpings | 8/0 | 214/0 |
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Test debut: 28 August 1882 |
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John Maurice Read (born 9 February 1859 in Thames Ditton, Surrey, died 17 February 1929 in Winchester, Hampshire) was an English professional cricketer. A hard-hitting middle-order batsman, he did little bowling except in 1883, when he claimed 27 first-class wickets including his career best of 6-41 against Kent.
Read made his first-class debut for Surrey County Cricket Club in 1880, and played regularly for his county for fifteen years. His most productive year was 1886, when he scored 1,364 runs at an average of 34.97, including two centuries and seven fifties. He was also extremely productive in the first half of 1889, and was recognised by being named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1890, but his season was affected later in the year by a bad finger injury.
Read was chosen for the Oval Test against Australia in 1882, the game which launched the legend of The Ashes after the Australians won by seven runs. He remained a regular pick for England until 1893, being awarded that year's Oval Test (against South Africa) as a benefit. Although his batting at this level was not spectacular - he passed fifty only twice in his 29 Test innings - his fielding at third man was excellent. He also appeared for the Players against the Gentlemen on 17 occasions.
After scoring 131 to help Surrey defeat Hampshire by an innings in 1895, Read retired from first-class cricket at the age of 36 - relatively young by 19th century standards - to work on the Tichbourne Park estate in Hampshire, although he continued to bat with great success in minor cricket for the Tichbourne side for some years thereafter. He died at the age of 70 in Winchester after a long illness.
Read's uncle Heathfield Stephenson had a long career with Surrey, and his brother Frederick Read also played one first-class game for the county.
