Lives in Cricket No 24 - Edgar Willsher

81 happy with him as the English squad would have been after he obligingly signalled the crucial ‘wide’. Its minutes for 1868 reflect the frustrations felt by committees since the dawn of time with regard to the difficulty in finding the model professional: Mr Pearson is undoubtedly a fine cricketer as well as a steady, sober man, and the club has desired much improvement and satisfaction from his services during the past two years. But it must be admitted that he does not come up to the requirements of a first-class professional, either in his bowling, or in the matter of instruction to players. Certainly, George Newhall did not see fit to use his talents in either innings of the England eleven. Only three bowlers were deployed, which may have been a little short-sighted, as the visitors returned to their best form, especially in a second-wicket stand of 61 in 70 minutes between Jupp and Smith in the first innings after Willsher had won the toss. Despite Charles Newhall’s eight for 57, a total of 117 was enough to break the spirit of the Twenty-Two, who managed a total of only 109 in their two innings. Willsher left nothing to chance this time, giving his best performance of the tour so far with fourteen wickets in the match to go with Freeman’s eighteen. A margin of defeat of 72 runs was no disgrace, but, with Cricket on the Brain The All-England bowling analysis for the Philadelphia XXII second innings at Nicetown on 6 October 1868. Note Freeman’s 13 wickets for 9 runs in 25 four-ball overs, including four wickets in his nineteenth over. Willsher bowled nine consecutive maiden overs and took two wickets.