All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

34 Alfred Shaw As well as Grace, Shaw had received particular help from wicketkeeper Sam Biddulph, who caught Martin McIntyre, a dismissal involving three Nottinghamshire colleagues, and stumped Hill, who three years later would take Test cricket’s first wicket and hold its first catch (off Shaw’s bowling). Biddulph had been the All-England Eleven keeper when George Wootton took all-ten against Yorkshire in 1865. Sadly he died of kidney disease less than two years later aged only 35. Umpire Thomas Hearne was probably getting a bit blasé about all-tens. He had played when Walker and Lillywhite had taken theirs, umpired when Butler took his, and had now officiated during another. MCC’s innings finished just before the close, Grace top scoring with 43. The hot weather continued the following day. The match was scheduled for three days but according to The Chronicle of WG ‘It had been planned to start at 11.00 to finish the match in two days because tomorrow was Derby Day, but play did not begin until 11.30’. North’s second innings total might have been worse. They had been 63 for eight, but McIntyre (21) and Hornby, who batted bravely for an undefeated 21 after going in down the order because of a bruised hand, ensured that MCC were set a tricky target. This time the damage was done by the pace of Morley (five for 48) who hit the stumps four times whilst Shaw (three for 43) bowled almost unchanged at the other end. Chasing 128 MCC, all out at 4.15, never looked like getting close and those who wanted could go to The Derby. The ball with which Shaw had taken all-ten was mounted by MCC and later presented to him. Like Lillywhite, Shaw impacted on cricket in many ways. He was involved in several tours to North America and Australia as player, captain, manager or promoter. With Arthur Shrewsbury he set up a sports goods business in 1880. Surviving the deaths of both partners it finally closed soon after the start of the Second World War. Shaw was also an early champion of the rights of fellow professionals: he was one of a number of players who refused the terms initially offered by Notts to play against the 1880 Australians, and a year later was involved in a more protracted dispute mainly centred on the terms offered to the players by autocratic county secretary Captain Holden. With the exception of one game in 1897 Shaw’s Nottinghamshire career ended in 1887, at which time he was the county’s highest ever wicket- taker. Remarkably for a professional he was County captain from 1883 until 1886. Nottinghamshire won the Championship in all four seasons and then replaced him, the Committee believing that younger blood was needed. The Committee at least showed its gratitude by giving him a benefit match – five years later, and only 28 years after his county debut! Shaw’s first-class career did not end there. He had been managing Lord Sheffield’s famous ground near Uckfield and in 1894 he turned out for Sussex, remarkably topping the county averages. After his playing career was over Shaw became a full-time umpire, continuing until the end of 1905. He had also been a pub landlord. He died in 1907 in Gedling, Nottinghamshire.