There was a final irony. John Jackson took more wickets (107 for AEE) than anyone else in the series. He died at the age of 74 in Liverpool Workhouse Infirmary. Virtually destitute in his declining years, he became a beneficiary of the cause he so ably supported, receiving an allowance of 5s 6d a week from the Cricketers’ Fund Friendly Society. The Best v The Best 17