Lives in Cricket No 17 - Fuller Pilch

As the match had finished so early on the second day and the Gentlemen of Kent v Gentlemen of England match was not due to start for another two days, it was decided to fill the gap and entertain the spectators with a Gentlemen v Players challenge match. Seven of the Kent team including Fuller, and four from the England team formed the Players eleven and the Gentlemen included Felix, Edward Banks, Martingell and Lillywhite. There was time for only one innings each and the game was recorded as unfinished. Fuller avoided being one of Lillywhite’s six victims but was bowled by Martingell for nought. Two weeks later Fuller was in the England team at Brighton on 17, 18 and 19 August, facing Sussex in a second match played for George Brown’s benefit. Before travelling north to join William Clarke in his new enterprise, there was time for the return match for Kent Club against the South London Club at Canterbury on 24 and 25 August. Fuller played an energetic part in the Kent Club victory by three wickets, taking six wickets and contributing 17 out of 45 in the Kent Club‘s second innings. Fuller arrived in Nottingham on 27 August to play for an ‘England Eleven’ put together by William Clarke in a two-day match against ‘Five Gentlemen of Southwell and Six Nottinghamshire professionals’. This put cash in Clarke’s pocket to cover the initial expenses of his touring team booked to play three matches. Depending upon the fame of the player, his seniority and how well he performed in each game, Clarke was paying between £6 and fifty shillings (£2.50) for each appearance. Fuller signed up for all three games. The first game, All-England v Twenty of Sheffield, on three days from 31 August at Hyde Park, Sheffield, was played according to the Sheffield and Rotherham Independent ‘before the largest number of spectators, we believe, that ever assembled to witness a match since the making of the ground.’ The Independent went on: ‘From the well-known ability of the All England eleven, the names of whom had been for some weeks before the public, the interest, excited not only in the town and its immediate vicinity, but also amongst the lovers of this noble and manly amusement living at a considerable distance, was unusually intense. Parties in vehicles of every description, and groups of pedestrians, thronged our streets early during the mornings of the three days, and hundreds availed themselves of the advantages of railway accommodation.’ The locals won a low-scoring match by five wickets. Losing to Sheffield was not part of Clarke’s script and Fuller’s contribution of seven runs from his two innings may not have earned him the payment he was expecting. Top score of 62 at Manchester against Eighteen of Manchester on 3, 4 and 5 September, in an innings victory for All-England, should have redressed the balance and a win in the last of the three matches at Leeds against Eighteen of Yorkshire on 7, 8 and 9 September, would have left everyone satisfied although it began in controversy. The first five wickets of All-England fell for 15 runs, including Fuller for six, all to the bowling of 94 William Clarke creates the All-England Eleven