The OP Big Hitter - the Legend that was Wally Hammond

 by John Sadden

Portsmouth Grammar School is proud of its current and former pupils’ achievements in all sports, and has produced some fine cricketers over the years. One boy, who joined the school in the midst of the First World War, went on to become a cricketing legend – Wally Hammond. The photograph on the left shows Wally Hammond on the school playing field at Hilsea in 1918 (the image is from the Portsmouth Grammar School Archive).

Walter was born in 1903 in Dover where his father, William, was a corporal in the Castle garrison. His military duties took the family overseas, to Hong Kong and Malta. During the First World War, William – now promoted to major - served in France and the family took up residence in King’s Street, Southsea. Walter was admitted to the school in January, 1916.  

In the 1960s, a school friend, Eric Wilson, remembered Walter...

 “with dark curly hair, a sun-tanned freckled face, and unusually powerful chest and shoulders, due to much diving and swimming in Malta. Many opponents fielding at mid-off or cover-point have wrung their fingers as a searing drive from his bat came their way. During his last cricket season at School, he played regularly for the 2nd XI. Although a natural hitter, he could keep up his end in a crisis, showing that remarkable discipline and restraint which stood England in such good stead in Test matches. He was also a wonderful dribbler on the football field (playing for the School 1st XI and later for Bristol Rovers), whilst in the fives court he would astonish us with spectacular overhead kicking. He disliked school work as heartily as he loved games, and it was this that started our friendship. I happened to be near the top of the class, and he pleaded with me to help him with his homework. The difficulty, of course, was to give him enough assistance to escape detention, but not enough to arouse his masters' suspicions.  He gave me some cricket coaching on Southsea Common during the long evenings of the summer term.”  

The school magazines of the period mention Walter’s prolific goal scoring and his success on Sports Day at Hilsea in the “throwing the cricket ball” competition. Walter’s days at the school came to an abrupt end in 1918 when his father was killed in action. Mrs Hammond felt it was better for him to attend a boarding school in Cirencester where his uncle lived. 

Wally Hammond went on to be described by Wisden as “one of the four best batsmen in the history of cricket”. He played for Gloucestershire from 1920 to 1951 and made his Test debut in 1927. His final appearance for England was in 1947.