Lives in Cricket No 40 - Edwin Smith

14 Chapter Two The young cricketer Edwin’s good performances in the early season of 1950 earned him an opportunity in the Grassmoor first eleven. ‘I had to be good,’ said Edwin, ‘because my uncle was the first team off spinner and I took his place.’ His strong performances continued in the senior side, a stand out being against Clay Cross and Danesmoor Miners Welfare, when the opposition had reached 49 for one in reply to Grassmoor’s 61 all out. At that point, Edwin was introduced, somewhat belatedly, into the attack and proved unplayable. He took seven wickets for one run in 17 balls, as Clay Cross crashed to 51 all out. Four successive matches brought him 25 wickets for just 59 runs and to the attention of Derbyshire’s secretary Will Taylor, who offered him a game against Yorkshire under-17s at Chesterfield. Harry Elliott, the county coach, had previously spotted Edwin’s talent in a coaching session at Clay Cross and the invitation was duly issued. Yorkshire had a strong side. Doug Padgett, Ray Illingworth, Ken Taylor and Bryan Stott, all of them to become county stalwarts, were in the opposition and we were hammered. They won by nine wickets, after we made less than 80. I did pretty well, though and my figures were ten overs for 11 runs and the one wicket that fell. It made an impression and I was offered a one-month trial in 1951. How did the money compare with what he was earning at Grassmoor Colliery? By this time, Edwin was working as a mechanic down the pit and following in the family footsteps. I was offered that trial in Derby at six pounds a week. I remember going down there with my father on the train and when we got to the ground, we said our farewells and he told me: ‘You’re on your own now, son.’ I was in digs at a guest house run by Mrs Silkstone on Babington Lane in Derby and they cost me two pound and five shillings a week. After two weeks there I decided I would travel back and forward each day, which cost me 30 shillings [£1.50 today]. It didn’t leave me an awful lot of money for socialising or for anything else really, but it was down to me to make the best of it. I felt very lonely and alone that first night, but things improved as I started to get to know a few people and started playing cricket. Harry Elliott, the club’s coach and long-time wicket-keeper, thought there