Walter McBride

{{short description|English cricketer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2016}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Walter McBride

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Walter Nelson McBride

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1904|11|27|df=y}}

| birth_place = Croydon, Surrey, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1974|1|30|1904|11|27|df=y}}

| death_place = Ealing, Middlesex, England

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium

| family =

| club1 = Oxford University

| year1 = 1925–1928

| club2 = Hampshire

| year2 = 1925–1929

| club3 = Dorset

| year3 = 1938

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 47

| runs1 = 656

| bat avg1 = 12.86

| 100s/50s1 = –/1

| top score1 = 51

| deliveries1 = 3,506

| wickets1 = 56

| bowl avg1 = 31.98

| fivefor1 = 2

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = 5/57

| catches/stumpings1 = 31/–

| date = 20 February

| year = 2010

| source = http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/16957.html Cricinfo

}}

Walter Nelson McBride (27 November 1904 — 30 January 1974) was an English first-class cricketer.

The son of Walter Sydney McBride, he was born at Croydon in November 1904. McBride was educated at Westminster School,{{cite book|title=The Record of Old Westminsters|first1=Alan Herbert|last1=Stenning|first2=George Fisher Russell|last2=Barker|publisher=Chiswick Press|page=603|year=1928|volume=2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nmVYAAAAMAAJ|isbn=9781785312427}} where he captained the school cricket team in 1924 and was singled out for praise by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack as "the best player in the eleven", and a bowler whose "pace is quite fast".{{cite book|title=Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|edition=1925|chapter=Public School Cricket in 1924, Part I|publisher=Wisden|pages=315–316}} From Westminster, he matriculated to Christ Church, Oxford. There, he made his debut in first-class cricket for Oxford University Cricket Club against Middlesex at Oxford in 1925. He would play for Oxford until 1928, making sixteen first-class appearances;{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6756/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Walter McBride|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=6 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} he would have likely made more appearances for Oxford, however his final year in 1928 was limited to two appearances by illness.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228610.html|title=Wisden - Obituaries in 1988|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|accessdate=6 September 2023}} For his appearance in The University Match against Cambridge University in 1926, he gained a blue.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228559.html|title=Wisden - Obituaries in 1974|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|accessdate=6 September 2023}} Playing in the Oxford side primarily as a right-arm medium pace bowler, he took 32 wickets at an average of 27.81;{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6756/f_Bowling_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Walter McBride|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=6 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} he took two five wicket hauls, with best figures of 5 for 57 against the Free Foresters in 1926.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/11/11882.html|title=Oxford University v Free Foresters, University Match 1926|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=6 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} It was against the Free Foresters the following year that he made his only first-class half century, with a score of 51.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6756/f_Batting_by_Opponent.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding Against Each Opponent by Walter McBride|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=6 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} For Oxford, he scored 251 runs at a batting average of 11.40.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6756/f_Batting_by_Team.html|title=First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Walter McBride|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=6 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} In addition to playing cricket for Oxford, McBride also played football for Oxford University A.F.C. as a goalkeeper. He played in Oxford's 6–2 victory against Cambridge University A.F.C. in 1927, gaining a football blue.

While studying at Oxford, McBride represented Hampshire during the summer holidays, making his debut for Hampshire against Somerset at Taunton in the 1925 County Championship. He was a regular member of the Hampshire side when he was available to play, making 29 appearances for Hampshire while he was still studying at Oxford; following his graduation, he made just two further appearances in the 1929 County Championship. In his 29 matches, he took 24 wickets at an average of 37.54 and took best figures of 3 for 36. With the bat, he scored 405 runs at a batting average of 13.96 and a highest score of 35. McBride later played minor counties cricket for Dorset, making two appearances in the 1938 Minor Counties Championship against Devon and Cornwall.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/6/6756/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html|title=Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Walter McBride|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=6 September 2023|url-access=subscription}} McBride died at Ealing in January 1974. He was survived by his wife, Molly (1927–2006).{{cite news|url=https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/3370771.mcbride-molly/|title=McBride Molly|work=Bournemouth Daily Echo|date=4 August 2006|accessdate=7 September 2023}}