Lives in Cricket No 24 - Edgar Willsher

49 a low delivery gives more spin and therefore Willsher’s “break back” (twist the reverse way) was very difficult.’ When the need to keep his arm low was removed in 1864, the old accuracy returned, but with new tricks at his disposal. However, he never became a true over-arm bowler in the modern sense of the word, and his action, even after the law change, would have been similar to that of Mitchell Johnson at the start of the 2009 Ashes, with his arm not far above the shoulder in delivery. Most of his compatriots followed suit, to the extent that, when the ‘demon’ Spofforth first toured England in 1878, batsmen were literally bowled over, not just by his pace, but also by the unaccustomed height of his arm. Further evidence that Willsher and Lillywhite soon buried the hatchet 14 comes in a notice from the Sporting Gazette of 26 November 1864: An important meeting of the professionals of the south of England was held at the Bridge House Hotel, London Bridge, November 17 … the appearance of so many of the ‘cracks’ at the Bridge House at this time of the year caused a little commotion. John Lillywhite was voted to the chair, Edgar Willsher to the vice chair. After a long discussion, in which each ‘had a say’, it was resolved unanimously that the eleven be called ‘The United South of England Eleven’. Willsher was voted in as secretary, and Lillywhite as treasurer, a proposal seconded by Edgar himself. The meeting was attended by several members of the UEE, and according to the Gazette , the new team would ‘undoubtedly be a very powerful eleven at all points of the game.’ The Gazette added that ‘the popularity and talent of the whole team, combined with the general esteem their worthy secretary is held in by all classes of cricketers, will ensure them plenty of matches.’ So Willsher was still greatly respected by his fellow professionals, but what of their attitude to other cricketers not at this meeting? Why did they feel it necessary to set up a United South of England Eleven? The answer lay in a series of petty disputes between north and south going back to 1859 and typified by ‘Willsher’s Match’ of 1862. The no-balling incident was seen by some of the northern professionals involved as a clandestine plot by the Surrey authorities to save the county from an ignominious defeat, and it led to a decision to boycott matches at The Oval for the foreseeable future. Rumblings of discontent continued until a perceived slight 14 Indeed Wisden records that Willsher was among the congregation for Lillywhite’s funeral at Highgate Cemetery in October 1874. Overarm at Last