All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

106 ten. He did get his tenth wicket next morning, but he was made to wait a while, bowling another 17 balls before he had Stanley Amor, one of four wicketkeepers used by Somerset during the season, caught at mid on by Andy Sandham. The tenth wicket pairing of Amor and leg-spinner Walter Whiting had put on 28, the largest partnership of the innings. Amor was described by Peter Roebuck in his Somerset history as a ‘big noise in Bath cricket’. In a 22-year career in which he played 29 matches he never got past 21, and so in the circumstances 19 was an impressive effort. Rushby had bowled unchanged, whilst Hitch and Fender, both of whom played for England during the summer, bowled unsuccessfully at the other end. Three weeks after taking an all-ten, White had now himself been part of one. Another one of Rushby’s victims was skipper John Daniell who was given out leg-before without scoring and would be given out caught behind in the second. As the umpires were then selected each season by the county captains themselves, these were arguably ‘courageous decisions’. Both umpires however could no doubt stand up for themselves. Fifty- three-year-old Alf Atfield would eventually umpire 387 first-class matches. Gloucestershire’s Jack Board, at the age of 54, was in his first season as a Championship umpire, but had previously played 525 first-class matches. Surrey made 264 in their second innings, leaving Somerset 391 to win on a wearing pitch. Johnson again went first ball and, with the exception of Robson who made 50 out of a final total of 161, nobody provided much resistance, the match finishing early on Friday morning. This time Rushby took just one wicket, Bill Hitch with six for 59 doing the damage. The tireless veteran Robson had done his best to thwart Surrey, top scoring in each innings and taking ten wickets in the match. Rushby’s figures are still a county record, just beating Tom Richardson’s ten for 45 against Essex in 1894. It was the sixth time he had taken five or more wickets in an innings against Somerset. The only other team against whom he had done it so often was the mighty Yorkshire. Returning to The Oval to play against Sussex he was, according to The Cricketer , ‘given a rare reception’ when he went out to bat. He took 70 wickets in 1921 and headed the Surrey averages, but Wisden commented that ‘between his best days and his worst there was a great gulf’, and he only played seven more matches in the season before his 229-match career was over. With the exception of one match for the Players he had appeared exclusively for Surrey. Only four other bowlers, Moss, Briggs, Drake and Shahid Mahmood (of whom more later), have taken all-ten in their final first-class season. Variously described as enthusiastic, temperamental, and unpredictable, despite earlier problems Rushby’s efforts were clearly highly regarded by his county, and he was granted a benefit in 1922, the Kent match yielding some £1,100. After retiring he became a private coach and died in Ewell, Surrey in 1962 aged nearly 82. Tom Rushby