Lives in Cricket No 24 - Edgar Willsher

39 Chapter Eight Incident at The Oval The 1862 season saw a continuance of Willsher’s good form, his most memorable contribution being a match figure of eight for 71 in the AEE’s pulsating victory over the UEE at Lord’s. A curiosity was his adoption of under-arm in Kent’s clash with Surrey at The Oval in July. Having seen the success achieved by Surrey’s wicketkeeper Tom Lockyer with his slow under-arm ‘teasers’ in Kent’s disastrous second innings, Edgar decided to try some of his own when Surrey were left to chase a modest target. He took three for 44, but should have fared even better, as, according to Bell’s Life , ‘the field did not assist him properly’. The experiment was not continued, however, but there was to be one more big appearance at The Oval, this time playing for England against Surrey in the last important match of the season. Having won the toss on a traditional Oval ‘belter’, England spent most of 25 and 26 August racking up an unprecedented 503, off 265 four-ball overs, in front of a crowd of at least 5,000. Willsher played his part, scoring 53 of an opening stand of 124, and by the time he came to open the bowling late on the second evening, he had had ample chance to put his feet up. After Willsher had bowled a maiden from the pavilion end, his captain, V.E.Walker of the famous Southgate brotherhood, followed suit from the other. In the fourth over, Walker’s second, Humphrey was caught by Grundy for a duck, bringing the amateur Fred Burbidge to the crease. As the batsmen had crossed during the catch, Burbidge was therefore on strike when Willsher commenced his third over. What happened next was, at least temporarily, to make Edgar Willsher the most notorious cricketer in the land. The first ball of the over was no-balled by John Lillywhite, standing at the bowler’s end, and was despatched to the off-side boundary by Burbidge. After the next ball was also called, the crowd began to wonder what was going on. After all of the next four were called in the same flat voice, the bowler had had enough. Let Sporting Life ’s reporter take up the story: Upon this, Willsher, instead of attempting to finish the over, naturally irritated and hurt at this unexpected proceeding