Curtis Reid (cricketer)


Curtis Alexander Reid umpired the historic first Test match.

Family

He married Sophie Dight on 14 August 1862. Their son, Curtis Arthur Reid, a surveyor, played Australian rules football at the highest level in Perth and in Melbourne.

Life and career

Reid umpired the inaugural Test between Australia and England in Melbourne on 15 to 19 March 1877. His umpiring colleague was Ben Terry.
Earlier, as a player, Reid was a left-hand batsman and right-arm bowler who played three matches for Victoria from 1869 to 1871. He took 16 wickets at an average of 10.87, with figures of 6 for 64 and 6 for 5 against Tasmania in 1870-71. Less successful with the bat, he scored 12 runs in 5 innings.
He was a winemaker, producing wine at Tarrawingee, Victoria, under the Reidsdale label.
Reid was appointed secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club in 1878, the club's first secretary to be paid. He was also one of the first cricket journalists in Australia.