Lives in Cricket No 22 - Jack Mercer

123 Coaching in the east and west anticipated, Fred was quite surprised at the modest terms, but after talking things over with him, a deal was struck, and Fred agreed to join the East Midlands county. It proved to be a successful move and confirmed Jack’s perceptive assessment of Fred. ‘He just needs a decent run in the county side to help him overcome his nervousness,’ Jack told colleagues when the Yorkshireman arrived at Wantage Road for the pre-season nets. Jack was duly proved right as the runs started to flow, with Jakeman scoring 1,987 runs in 1951 at an average of 58.44 to finish fourth in the national averages plus a place in the Northamptonshire record books with an unbeaten 258 against Essex, at the time, a club record. Another of Jack’s shrewd signings was ‘Jock’ Livingston, a garrulous left- hander from Australia who came to England in 1948 to be a professional in the Lancashire leagues. Mid-way through the season, Jack went to watch the Heywood v Royton match, mainly to watch a fast bowler, but this man’s bowling was taken apart by Livingston, with the small and nimble Australian hooking and pulling him to all parts of the ground. As a result, Jack secured Jock’s services for the following year. He proceeded to score 1,000 runs in seven of his eight seasons with Northamptonshire, with the Sydneysider also being instrumental in Frank Tyson, the Lancashire- born fast bowler, joining the East Midlands side in 1952. The pair had met in an exhibition match one Sunday at Knypersley when Tyson was playing for the North Staffordshire League against a Commonwealth side which included Livingston. Tyson’s raw pace and hostility impressed Livingston, who shortly afterwards arranged for Tyson to have a trial with Northamptonshire. It proved successful, with Tyson also attaining national and international recognition after an outstanding performance on England’s successful Ashes tour in 1954/55. Tyson also benefitted from Jack’s assistance in a bizarre way on an occasion during the 1950s when he met with less success than normal. Jack was still very superstitious and he regularly carried around in his pocket a lucky charm which he called ‘The Chinaman’, a piece of ivory on which a smiling Chinese face had been carved. For years, the charm had brought Jack good fortune so with Tyson down on his luck, Jack lent the paceman the charm and told him to put it in his trouser pocket the next time he bowled. Remarkably, the charm did the trick as in the following match against Surrey, Tyson took 13 for 112. After his dramatic return to form, Tyson asked Jack if he could keep the charm for the next few weeks. The genial coach was happy to oblige and ‘The Chinaman’ duly brought Tyson further good luck in the match against Middlesex at Lord’s, ironically after it had fallen out of the bowler’s pocket during his follow through. Fred Titmus, the non-striker, picked up the charm and handed it back to Tyson at the end of the over. Perhaps Titmus should have kept it himself as next over he was at the receiving end and to the first ball from Tyson he edged into the hands of second slip! Despite Jack’s impressive list of signings and his growing reputation as a