Walter Robins

Who was Walter Robins?

Robert Walter Vivian Robins was an English cricketer and footballer.

Walter Robins was born in Stafford and was educated at Highgate School and Cambridge University. He played football for Nottingham Forest and first-class cricket for Middlesex, Cambridge University and England. He was a useful right-handed batsman and a capable leg-break bowler, who played in 258 first-class matches for the county, taking 669 wickets at an average of 22.28, with a personal best of 8/69. He was an adventurous captain who was prepared to take risks, in order to gain a positive result. He captained Middlesex County Cricket Club during three spells and led them to the County Championship in 1947. He stood down from the captaincy in 1948 due to his business interests and may have contemplated retirement from cricket but he remained an occasional first-class player until 1958.

Robins was named one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1930.

He took 217 first class catches, and 12 in Test matches, yet he infamously dropped Don Bradman during the third Test of England's 1936/37 Ashes tour.