Lives in Cricket No 40 - Edwin Smith

50 Kidderminster in 1966. His team mate of that period, Brian Jackson, takes up the story. Basil d’Oliveira had just returned from England duty where he had done well and was given a hero’s welcome by a large crowd. He was immaculately turned out and looked full of confidence as he walked out to bat, acknowledging the crowd’s applause and looking set to enjoy his spell at the crease. He took guard to Edwin as the applause died down and Edwin set his field. He was coming round the wicket, a sign that the ball was turning, something that Basil would have been very aware of. Edwin ran in, that six-step run that we knew so well. The ball pitched middle and leg and, as Basil went back to turn it with the spin through the leg side, it kept on going and flattened his off stump. He was one of the best batsmen in England – maybe the world – and had been completely deceived by Edwin’s arm ball. You could have heard a pin drop as he walked slowly back to the pavilion. The 1957 season opened on May 4 against Yorkshire at Bradford. On a cold, sunny morning, losing Charlie Lee to Fred Trueman’s second ball of the season was not the most auspicious of starts. Only the ever-reliable Hamer and Alan Revill showed any form, the latter ironic as Revill was to endure a difficult summer. It saw him released by the county and moving to Leicestershire for three seasons. A popular and garrulous team mate, memorably described by Michael Parkinson as being able to ‘talk the leg off an iron pot’, he was particularly missed by Edwin. He was a lovely bloke and we spent a lot of time together. He was a good cricketer, but struggled in that final year. You would call him a selfless batsman, prepared to give his wicket away in the quest for quick runs to enable a declaration. It was as a friend that I missed him most, as well as one of the best short leg fielders I ever saw. Derbyshire lost that opening fixture after fine batting by Brian Close and Ray Illingworth, while the irrepressible Fred Trueman took five wickets in each innings, as well as rendering George Dawkes hors de combat for the rest of the match with a blow on the foot, as he dismissed him lbw. It was not a good start, but the side showed much improved form over the summer, eventually finishing fourth behind champions Surrey, Northamptonshire and a Yorkshire side that was on the way to greatness, acknowledged by Edwin. They had some wonderful players at that time. Ken Taylor, Frank Lowson, Brian Close and Willie Watson were all fine batsmen, while Fred Trueman was, as everyone knew, a terrific fast bowler. They had Johnny Wardle, Ray Illingworth and Close to bowl spin and it needed a very good team performance to beat them. Such a performance was less than three weeks away. In the intervening West Indian summer