Lives in Cricket No 37 - William Clarke

108 The Last Summers The Nottingham Review, rather in contrast to the paper’s early note, stated: Although much as we admire the abilities and perseverance of our old townsman W.Clark, we cannot refrain from saying that it is our opinion, and also the opinion of his best friends, that the match would have looked much better had he taken himself off bowling, for, from the nature of the ground (which is truth itself) and the splendid play of Adams and Anderson, it was impossible for him to be successful. Indeed it is a fault of his not to know the exact time when to cease bowling.’ The Review ’s remark came after the first innings, when Clarke bowled unchanged for 68 overs, taking six wickets for 92, including those of Anderson and Caesar. It was to prove Clarke’s final match for his county. (It was also the last match in which Clarke participated that the ACS has ranked as first-class.) From the close of the 1854 season the committee of the County Cricket Club seems to have become dormant once more. Clarke organized this 1855 game. In 1856 the only county fixture was against England at Newark and no matches at all were played in 1857. Whether or not Clarke read the comment in the Nottingham Review , the number of overs he bowled in the remaining seven AEE matches of 1855 was quite formidable. Between 20 August and 19 September, Clarke bowled in 14 innings. The figures, four-ball overs of course, are set out below: Dates Opponents First Second Total 20, 21 and 22 August Dudley 22 48* 70 23, 24 and 25 August Leicestershire 40 78* 118 27, 28 and 29 August Hereford 39.2 17* 56.2 3, 4 and 5 September Nottingham Commercial 39* 43.2 82.2* 6, 7 and 8 September Leeds 41* 29.1 70.1 10, 11 and 12 September Cheshire 28* 49* 77* 17, 18 and 19 September Hull 38* 46* 84* Total 558.1 Note: Asterisks denote Clarke bowling unchanged through the innings or match concerned. The opposition were twenty-twos apart from Nottingham Commercial who comprised eighteen. The fact that Clarke bowled unchanged through what would prove (with a minor exception in 1856) the final four innings of his long career is uncanny, almost as if he knew the end had come. To add to the surreal aspect of those matches, the side, which Clarke had single-handedly created, was undefeated, winning four and drawing the others. The AEE match against Nottingham Commercial was staged on The Forest ground, the original venue for so many of Clarke’s early matches, but not one on which he had played for many years. The game was arranged as a benefit for the Notts wicketkeeper, Charley Brown, and it is stated in the press that 10,000 attended each day − admission of course was free − almost as if the Nottingham public foresaw that this would be Clarke’s last appearance