Famous Cricketers No 74 - Bill Edrich

William John Edrich William (Bill) John Edrich was born on 26th March 1916 at Lingwood, Norfolk, the second son of Bill and Edith Edrich. There were five children in the family, four boys and one girl and all the boys eventually played first-class cricket. The eldest, Eric Arthur (born 1914) played for Lancashire, Geoffrey Arthur, the third son (born 1918) also played for Lancashire and Brian Robert, the fourth son (born 1922) played for Kent and Glamorgan. A cousin, John Hugh (born 1937) played for Surrey and England. The name Edrich, although uncommon today, was by no means so rare in the Middle Ages and it predates William the Conqueror. Tracing a direct line is impossible but Norfolk Edriches took landholdings of Edric the Dane recorded in the Domesday Book. There is strong written evidence of Edriches living in Norfolk during the fourteenth century. The father of W.J.Edrich was Bill senior, a farmer and a very keen cricketer. He was a sound wicket-keeper/batsman who played for Lingwood and with his brother Edwin played for Norfolk Club and Ground. Edwin played once for the full County side in an emergency and scored 71 not out but none of his generation were invited to play for the County again. Many of the Edrich clan played club cricket of a high standard and over the years fielded Edrich XI’s to take on good quality opposition. During the First World War, Bill Edrich senior failed his conscription medical but farmed continuously in Norfolk. In 1921 he moved to Manor Farm, Blofield and the family practised cricket on an asphalt path with a wicket marked on the kitchen door. W.J.Edrich was educated at Bracondale School, Norwich, where his cricket prowess soon became evident to the extent that at the age of 16, he played for Norfolk against India and scored 20 out of the Norfolk total of 49 in the first innings. In 1933 he scored 92 for Norfolk against Suffolk and played for Norfolk against the West Indies when George Headley scored 257 not out. In reply Edrich scored 35 out of 257 in a drawn match. He was greatly encouraged by the Norfolk captain, Michael Falcon, was awarded his County Colours and developed his bowling technique. At this time he also played football for Norwich City Reserves. After several successful seasons with Norfolk in the Minor Counties championship, he was advised to seek engagement with Middlesex. Two days before his trial in April 1934, he split his hand working on the farm but passed his trial before disclosing his bleeding hand. He qualified for Middlesex and lived in London, meeting up with Denis Compton and Gubby Allen, playing variously for Marylebone Cricket Club and Norfolk, for whom he scored his first century. He made his first-class debut for Minor Counties in 1934 and in 1935 scored 111 for Norfolk (not first-class) against the touring South African team at Lakenham. This was after he had been told his registration for Middlesex had not been tabled until October 1934 which meant he could not play for Middlesex until 1937. During the 1936 season he scored three centuries in his only five matches. Patsy Hendren taught both Compton and Edrich how to play the hook shot off the back foot and encouraged them both in their early careers. During this period he had a football trial for Tottenham Hotspur, played in a Reserve game, and was contracted to Northfleet, the Spurs nursery club. Just after breaking into the Spurs first team a bad ankle injury during the 1936/37 season and the invitation to tour India in 1937/38 ended his short football career. 4