Lives in Cricket No 40 - Edwin Smith

59 if no one else. Asked the secret of his success, he said that he merely held his fingers along the seam and ‘buggered about with it until something happened’. It was an understated response typical of the man, but the feeling remains that he was poorly treated by national selectors. Even in an era of good seam bowlers, umpires and players alike rated Les up with the best. Edwin has a theory on his omission from England sides over the years. Les was massive in the top half of his body. He had a big chest, a strong back and powerful shoulders from his time spent down the pit. Funnily enough, his bottom half looked less developed and perhaps the selectors felt that he would break down on an overseas tour. It was nonsense, because his workload over the years was substantial and he rarely let us down. His action was not conventional either. His run up was ordinary, perhaps even awkward, no more than ten or 12 paces and it all ended in an almost round-arm ‘sling’ that would never have been seen in the MCC coaching manual. He was sent down to see Alf Gover at his cricket school in London, but he only suggested minor adjustments. It worked for him and us and season after season he delivered the goods Walter Goodyear tells another story about Jackson that typifies the man. One day he came off at the end of play and took off a cricket boot, then tossed it to me. It was full of blood. ‘I had a nail come through the sole this morning Wal ... can you get it sorted for me?’ He’d bowled nearly all day with a nail sticking in his foot! Can you imagine them doing that today? I borrowed someone’s bicycle and took it to a cobbler on East Street in Derby. He was just closing up, but when I told him I’d got Les Jackson’s boot for repair, he opened up again and sorted it, so I could take it back to him for the next day’s play. The final word should be Edwin’s. How would he sum up his former colleague? ‘As an outstanding bowler, a valued team mate and a very good friend,’ comes the quick reply. Les