Lives in Cricket No 40 - Edwin Smith

25 Carnage at Chesterfield game ended in a high-scoring draw, with Edwin taking two wickets in each innings. It was a warm-up for his next match at Wellingborough School against Northamptonshire, where the spinners came into their own as the season moved into late summer. Edwin took five for 49 as Northamptonshire made 219 on the first day, then four for 51 in the second innings, as his side were left 194 to win, which they achieved for the loss of five wickets. It was the first time since his magical spell at Chesterfield the previous summer that he had out- bowled Rhodes. He played in four more games that season, though in each had little chance to shine. There were two wickets in each innings against Surrey at The Oval, but his side was heavily beaten by a strong side and Edwin was dismissed for his first ‘pair’ in the first-class game, bowled by Tony Lock in the first innings and Alec Bedser in the second. He had, at least, moved up the batting order by the end of the season, swapping places with Les Jackson and going in at number ten. It was the start of an improvement in his batting that would gradually see him become a doughty fighter in the lower middle order for the county. A typical Smith-Gladwin run out. Edwin is on the floor as Gladwin looks mystified. Don Shepherd is the Glamorgan bowler, Haydn Davies the wicket-keeper.