Lives in Cricket No 37 - William Clarke

7 Although the control of English cricket, on paper, reverted to the MCC and Lord’s when Clarke’s hand disappeared, he left the scene with cricket’s profile enhanced to the extent that it was the most popular ball game in the British Isles, to play, watch and read about. With such teams as the United South of England and the Australians (every second summer, 1878 to 1890) following in his footsteps, or, more accurately, his train journeys, the enthusiasm felt for the sport by the man in the street continued to rise until the twentieth century, when football slowly but surely stole the limelight. Clarke was the man who created the ‘modern’ cricket scene, which is now just a memory in the minds of old men. I hope that this, the first attempt to tell the story of Clarke’s life, will make readers aware of the pivotal role Clarke played in our national pastime. Introduction