Lives in Cricket No 24 - Edgar Willsher

98 1862 were a part of his campaign for the serious treatment of the professional’s voice. We see this continued in his work for the CFFS and the USEE, and the esteem in which he was held by his peers was clearly reflected in his selection for that momentous tour of 1868. What he may have lacked in tactical acumen was more than made up for by his diplomacy skills and ability to get on with people from all walks of life, all of which helped him to play a major part in the ending of the north-south schism. So great was his influence throughout the country that, in a letter to Bell’s Life promoting the James Southerton Memorial Fund in July 1880, he felt able to write: I think I may promise for the whole of the South of England professional cricketers, and I should not much mind promising for the North of England cricketers too, though I have not had time to consult them, that we all will do our best. It was a testament to Willsher’s generosity of spirit that he should be involved in the effort to provide for a fellow player’s family at a time when his own business was struggling, and when he was no longer playing at the highest level himself. Above all, it reflected his commitment to fairness both on and off the field; equality between batsman and bowler, and quality of life for professionals whether young or old, able-bodied or sick. At a time when the continued existence of ‘the spirit of cricket’ is frequently called into question, it is salutary to be reminded of what that spirit actually is. In conclusion, there is no better summary of Willsher the man than this quote from an article written by Victorian moraliser Frederick Gale for the Boy’s Own Paper of 3 September 1881, concerning the close finish of the Gentlemen v Players match of 1869: The game now mentioned was stopped for a minute whilst Edgar Willsher, the captain, took Pooley out a glass of water for the purpose, backbiters thought, of ‘fiddling for time’. But I, the writer, can tell you how the backbiters wronged him, for the glass of water was an excuse for giving Pooley his ‘riding orders’, which were worthy of a real cricketer like Edgar Willsher, and they were as follows: ‘Win the match if you can, but don’t play for a draw.’ Epitaph