Lives in Cricket No 37 - William Clarke

92 play, save in three matches, after 1850. The two England teams then played on 30, 31 August and 1 September. The AEE engagement was at Ilkeston, the United at Newmarket. Clarke did not go to Ilkeston but travelled to Newmarket and clearly told Wisden and Dean what he thought of them, hence the grand announcement at Sheffield on 7 September. The United Eleven played only four matches in 1852, whereas Clarke staged 26. The depth of feeling between the main promoters of the two England Elevens was to emerge in the columns of the sporting newspaper Bell’s Life during December, but before going forward to that acrimonious correspondence, the other significant events of the 1852 season need recording. Scores and Biographies begins its coverage of the 1852 season with a cricket song for The Eleven of England. The final verse runs: Then long may ‘Old Clarke’ be up to the mark, And guide us to triumphs again; We never shall see better leader than he, We may look for his like in vain. Come join in the toast, ‘Tis a glorious boast, All classes may share in its joys; Both peasant and peer Find ecstacy here, Then Cricket for ever my boys Then Cricket for ever my boys. This chapter began with the events of late summer, but to put matters in sequence it is necessary to return to the start of the 1852 season. The AEE side played five matches beginning on 10 May. In the game at Hyde Park, Sheffield against Fourteen of Yorkshire, Clarke took eight for 80 in the first innings and nine for 80 in the second. After the five matches Clarke appeared successively for England at Lord’s and for Surrey v England at The Oval. There were five more AEE matches, including the two between 14 and 19 June. The first of these was at King’s Lynn from which town the All-England Eleven had to travel across the fens by stage coach to play at Sleaford the following days. This journey was described by several players, the coach getting lost in the dark and Martingell lighting a flare to read a signpost in order to ascertain the correct route. Felix sketched a picture of the ‘lost’ coach. Several additional eleven-a-side games took place at The Oval and Lord’s, ending in Gentlemen v Players at Lord’s, with Dean and Wisden opening the Players’ innings and Clarke batting at No.11. One wonders whether Clarke was aware of the Wisden/Dean plans at that juncture – the game ended on 21 July. When the AEE went to Northampton on 12 August, Wisden and Dean were given men for the Northampton side. The following week Clarke, Dean and Wisden played for the MCC-selected England team v Kent at Canterbury Controversy