Lives in Cricket No 40 - Edwin Smith

45 Chapter Seven Ashes summer Mention the year 1956 to most cricket fans and their first thought will be of the Ashes series, an English triumph and Jim Laker. The summer proved one of the wettest on record. Derbyshire finished sixth from bottom, but lost 121 hours to rain and bad weather and the cold, gloom and wind, aside from the rain, meant that county attendances were considerably down. Indeed, Derbyshire ended the season with a large deficit, losing two Saturdays at Chesterfield, the Saturday of the Nottinghamshire ‘derby’ at Ilkeston and all but 49 overs against Hampshire at Chesterfield, where the visitors limped to 59 for seven in that time. The Worcestershire game at the same venue saw only eight overs of play in three days. The season overview by Donald Carr in the following summer’s yearbook made for equally gloomy reading. While acknowledging the sterling efforts of Jackson and Gladwin once more, the captain noted that their ‘advancing years may tend to reduce their stamina’. His concern for players coming through in different areas is also clear, while acknowledging the potential of seam bowlers Harold Rhodes, Derek Hall and Brian Furniss. The last two failed to realise that potential, while Rhodes went on to be one of the county’s finest players, as well as one shamefully treated by the cricket authorities. ‘Les and Cliff’ both passed the hundred wicket mark, devastating when the weather allowed play on rain-affected wickets, but hindered by the loss of the best part of 20 days’ play over the summer. For Edwin Smith, the wicket tally reduced to 59 at a shade under 30 runs each, leaving him the third top wicket-taker It was disappointing after the previous summer, but he bowled over 200 overs fewer and the frequent stoppages meant that the two main seam bowlers could bowl frequent spells, with the benefit of a break in the pavilion. His performances were steady and there were few spells when he was ‘collared’, but opportunities to run through sides rarely presented themselves. Having excelled in Scotland in 1955, his season’s best came in Wales. The game against Glamorgan, at Swansea’s St Helen’s ground, saw Edwin reduce the home side from 124 for three to 188 all out, taking seven for 58. Another Hamer masterclass of 120 saw Derbyshire take a first innings lead of 69, but only Jim Presdee, with an unbeaten 59, resisted Edwin and Derek Morgan for long. The home side were dismissed for 137, Edwin taking four for 57 in 21 overs of what was called ‘accurate and controlled