Lives in Cricket No 37 - William Clarke

105 Controversy levelled against him on this occasion. From Trent Bridge, the Notts team went straight down to Surrey, not to The Oval, due to a dispute with the lessee, but to Broadwater Park, the home of the Marshall family. The pitch was dreadful: Julius Caesar, playing for Surrey, decided the only tactic in the circumstances was to hit out. Lillywhite notes: ‘he not only went effectually to the slows, but “jumped off” at Bickley and Grundy, and punished them in that manner somewhat severely.’ Caesar, hitting the highest two scores in the match, won the game for his side. The season ended with an almost continuous programme of All-England matches – from 28 August to 27 September, the team had just one three- day break and won six out of eight games. Lillywhite credits Clarke with twice as many wickets as any other bowler; Clarke took 476 wickets, Wisden 210 and Dean 191. The All-England Eleven engaged two new recruits during the season, H.H.Stephenson (Surrey) and Edgar Willsher (Kent), both appearing in 15 of the 24 matches. The two old stagers who reduced their appearances markedly were Alfred Mynn and William Hillyer; Mynn was now 47 and Hillyer 41. Stephenson was 21 and Willsher 25 – both had distinguished careers ahead of them and both played for the AEE during Clarke’s final seasons and continued under Parr’s leadership.