Lives in Cricket No 24 - Edgar Willsher

55 handy cricketer but clearly not in the same league. The first inklings the press had of any plans for the off-season of 1868 came at the beginning of August that year. On 1 August, Harper’s Weekly in New York noted: The cricketers of the country are making arrangements for a vigorous season, and the game is growing in favor daily. Among the anticipated sensations is the arrival here of the All-England Eleven – an event in cricketing circles which the St George’s Club has been active in endeavoring to secure. It is hoped that this Club will be induced to come here as the guests of the St George’s in September or October next, and, if so, they will probably make a tour of the principal Eastern cities and visit Canada. By 23 August, the New York Times was speaking far more emphatically: It is now a settled fact that the much-talked-of matches between a selected eleven of the All England Club (Old Country) and the leading associations of this country will take place next month. All preliminary arrangements have been made, and it is expected ‘The Eleven’ will arrive out the first week in September. The English press, showing its contempt for the American game, paid the story little attention until the beginning of September. On 5 September, two days after the team had set sail, the identities of both the captain and the organiser of the party were finally revealed: Mr V.E.Walker had the task of selecting them, and there could not have been a better man found for the office. Willsher knows as well as anyone how to manage a team, and in addition to this, he is so much, and deservedly, respected by cricketers generally, that under his guidance we have much reasonable hope that all will go ‘merry as a marriage bell’ with the twelve. Finally, Edgar was belatedly being given the recognition he deserved – he was captain of an England touring side! 18 Quite how or why Walker became involved, is not clear – both Bettesworth and ‘Old Ebor’ completely neglect to mention the episode – but from the American point of view it is certain that attempts to secure the trip had been impressively well-organised. 18 His first first-class match as captain was for South v North at Rochdale in August 1860. Captain of England