All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

157 six years previously had completed Tich Freeman’s first all-ten. Mitchell had varied both spin and flight skilfully, although The Times suggested that he was flattered by feeble batting. Picking up the remaining four wickets on Monday morning, with five batsmen bowled and one leg-before he hadn’t needed a lot of help from the field, except from Stan Worthington who snapped up three sharp catches at silly point. Another product of the mining community, Worthington had been spotted whilst an electrician at Bolsover Colliery. He played for England nine times, and the following season his 128 against India made him the first Derbyshire batsman to score a Test century. It had been a curious Leicestershire innings: apart from Watson everybody got a start, but nobody stayed long. Having stood while Freeman had spun out Essex at Southend in 1930 umpire William Parry had supervised his second all-ten. Parry, who had lost a leg during the War, never played first- class cricket, but umpired over 200 matches, including five Tests. Mitchell’s figures are another ground record that clearly won’t be beaten. His three bowling partners at the other end, England players all (eventually), would between them take over 2,500 first-class wickets but were all wicketless this time. Two of the Derbyshire team, Harry Elliott and Harry Storer, had also played 14 years previously at Cardiff when Billy Bestwick had taken Derbyshire’s first all-ten. Only post-war allrounder Derek Morgan has exceeded Elliott’s 520 appearances for the county, and nobody has got near his 292 stumpings for them – one of which helped Mitchell complete Derbyshire’s second all-ten. Thirty-seven-year-old Storer was a determined batsman and useful bowler who came from a sporting family. He was an England soccer international and the following year would perform a remarkable double: appearing in Derbyshire’s Championship-winning side and managing Coventry City to the Championship of the Third Division North. Going in again with a lead of 17 Derbyshire made 227. Worthington (37) again top scored, but unfortunately his captain completed a pair. Chasing 245 with over a day left Leicestershire (51 for one) were well placed at the close but rain returned on Tuesday, preventing any play until 3.30 pm and ending the game at tea with the score 111 for three. Mitchell took another two wickets, including Frank Prentice who managed to hit his wicket attempting a late cut. Mitchell finished the season with 171 wickets. Only Freeman, Verity, Goddard and Bowes took more, but none bettered his strike-rate of 32 balls per wicket. Just over four years later at the end of August he played his last first-class match, appropriately again against Leicestershire at Aylestone Road. Facing a side that included four of his all-ten victims he bowled little and took no wickets, whilst this time George Watson top scored for Leicestershire. Mitchell finished his career with 1,483 wickets, at the time Derbyshire’s second highest wicket-taker just behind Billy Bestwick. He is still their most successful spinner. After the War he Tommy Mitchell