Lives in Cricket No 37 - William Clarke

50 at Trent Bridge beginning on 22 August under the title Nottinghamshire v England, the latter team being raised by Fuller Pilch rather than MCC. Clarke had an outstanding all-round match. He made the highest score in both Nottinghamshire innings, though admittedly only 18 and 26, but also took seven of England’s ten wickets. He was out-gunned by Alfred Mynn, however, whose all-round performance saw him hit 61 and take, in all, nine wickets: Pilch himself scored 60 and his team won by ten wickets. It must have been a chastening experience for Clarke especially as the game was for £100-a-side. The Nottingham Date Book however notes: ‘The All England Eleven is probably the most formidable that our players have ever contended with.’ John Chapman, Clarke’s stepson, made his county debut in this game, as did Francis Noyes. Clarke organized home and away games with the Sheffield Wednesday club, both ending in convincing victories for Nottingham. At Sheffield, the report notes ‘Clarke’s slow yet sure style did great execution.’ The crowds were still not being attracted to Trent Bridge in great numbers. When the Sherwood Forest Club opposed Southwell on The Forest the reported attendance for the first day was 3,000. The following week Clarke staged at Trent Bridge a game Six Gentlemen of Notts with Five Players of England v Nottinghamshire, but only 600 watched the first day’s play. Clarke himself did well, opening the batting and being last man out for 75 out of 155: this was his highest innings in first-class matches. Clarke’s efforts to make the Trent Bridge a paying proposition resulted in an 1843 expansion of major match fixtures on the ground. England in general was coming out of recession and maybe Clarke saw more money in people’s pockets. The increase sounds modest by present-day standards, but in comparison with the five previous seasons it was a considerable improvement. The Nottingham/Nottinghamshire side had staged no matches there in 1838, one in 1839, two in 1840, one in 1841, three in 1842. In 1843, there was a three-day match in May against Sheffield, in June the first-ever Notts game with Hampshire, in August against MCC and in September against Sussex. In addition to these there were away matches. Clarke opened the season in mid-April with the regular County v Town match – the Nottingham Review comments: ‘A young bowler named Grundy of Carrington engaged annually by the Sherwood Forest Club gave an excellent specimen of skill, lowering Guy with an exceedingly fine ball.’ James Grundy would develop into a great all-rounder for Nottinghamshire and play an important role in Clarke’s career latterly. There were two Gentlemen v Players matches at Trent Bridge in August and September. A new team called Professional Gentlemen used Trent Bridge for two published matches. In cricket terms the team’s title might cause some head scratching, but a note after the first game adds ‘the professional gentlemen being members of the legal and medical professions’. John Chapman is in the side presumably because he was studying to be a vet. The Notts Amateurs Club in 1843 is given as the ‘Amateur Club of Trent Bridge’ when it plays an away match at Southwell. Clarke played in all the Nottinghamshire matches of the year. Fate Takes a Hand