All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

175 Eric Hollies appearances for Birmingham City, Chelsea and Watford, Australian-born Mitchell found greater fame on the football field. Maudsley, later a law professor, was Warwickshire captain in 1948 (a post shared with Dollery) and three years later in his final first-class match scored a century, his fourth, for Warwickshire against his alma mater Oxford, in the first of three first-class matches to be played at Stratford-upon-Avon. Walter Keeton and Charlie Harris (both victims in Verity’s record ten for 10 in 1932) put on 47 before Hollies switched from the pavilion to the city end and soon induced Harris to play on. The pair were one of county cricket’s most prolific opening partnerships, reaching a hundred 46 times (the record is held by Yorkshire’s Holmes and Sutcliffe with 69). The only batsmen who made scores of substance were Keeton and Freddie Stocks. Two months earlier left-hander Stocks had made a century on his first- class debut, and the following month he had Lancashire’s Winston Place caught at the wicket with his debut first-class ball. Two of Hollies’ victims were Joe Hardstaff, who the previous month had made 205 not out for England against India at Lord’s, but this time was trapped by a googly second ball, and Reg Simpson. Twenty-six-year-old Simpson had made his Nottinghamshire debut earlier in the month (but had played first- class cricket in India during the War) and so far his highest county score was 29. Hollies later recalled that, in all the excitement, when last man Frank Woodhead came in after he had taken two wickets in two balls, he forgot to call in all the fielders, customary practice when a hat-trick was on. And Warwickshire keeper Cyril Goodway maintained that Hollies had taken all-eleven because he was sure that he had also stumped Stocks, unfortunately just as the sun suddenly broke through a gap in the clouds thereby (by his own admission) preventing umpire Alec Skelding from seeing what had happened. Warwickshire struggled to 113 in their second innings. Hollies made four before he was bowled by Stoke City goalkeeper and future Test umpire Arthur Jepson, failing by one run to equal his highest score of the season! Nottinghamshire needed 149 to win, a tricky task given what had gone on before. However, they did have plenty of time, and used up 73 overs, reaching their target just before the end of the second day, achieving victory mainly thanks to Harris (80 not out) and Hardstaff (41). Clearly their main objective had been to keep out Hollies who bowled 31 overs in taking one for 29. The disappointment of defeat would have been slightly softened by the £100 that a collection yielded in recognition of his great feat the previous day. Curiously the return match with Nottinghamshire was played at Trent Bridge just one week later. Hollies again dismissed Simpson, but this time not before he had made his maiden century – a little matter of 201! The stylish Simpson would go on to score over 30,000 runs and play in 27 Tests. Hollies’ success helped revive his England career, and of course in 1948 he famously bowled Don Bradman for a duck in his final Test innings. He toured Australia with Freddie Brown’s side in 1950/51, but the conditions didn’t suit him, and he failed to add to his 13 caps and 44 wickets (a modest tally which did at least include five 5-fors).