Lives in Cricket No 43 - John Jackson

41 At the Height of His Powers and W.Slinn who were guesting for the Lincolnshire side, bowled the AEE out for 37 and 46, only George Anderson mastering the conditions with a score of 25 in the second innings. Lincolnshire won by 11 runs. New ground, new pitch, (not bedded in?). The score seemed very low with only four innings out of 66 reaching double figures. Jackson began his season with the AEE at Bath on 4 June with a match against the Lansdown Club who included E.M.Grace in their team. Jackson demolished the locals in a 30 over spell in which he took seven wickets for 10 runs. Lansdown, playing without any professional help, were out for 28 (top score 7; 10 men made ducks). Grace had made 21* in the Club’s second innings of 67 for eight when the match was rained off. Jackson had by this stage taken three for 12 in 17 overs. The AEE scores, on a ground made heavy by recent rain, were 75 and 77. Following the defeat at Lincoln, mentioned above, the Eleven moved on to Salford where they were defeated by XX of Manchester Broughton Club by eleven wickets on 21, 22 and 23 June. J.Makinson made 104 for the local side, one of very few hundreds ever recorded against the great professional sides. Jackson took some punishment but still finished with eleven for 75 in 67.3 overs as well as making the top score of 26* in the AEE’s second innings of 99. Manchester Broughton owed much to Makinson whose century came in a total of 180 that contained only two other double figure scores. The AEE hit 117 in their second innings, setting the local side 37 to win. Jackson took three for 31 in 9.3 overs as the locals chased this total down. Some dreadful weather at the Chuckery Ground, Walsall, led to the match against a Walsall XXII on 25, 26 and 27 June ending in a draw. Walsall only batted once, with Jackson taking the opportunity of snaffling twelve more wickets for 26 in 42 overs. The AEE game against XXII of Monmouthshire at Newport on 28, 29 and 30 June was played out on another heavy ground with play being much delayed and interrupted by rain and showers. The AEE won the match with Jackson taking twelve for 25 in the Monmouthshire second innings in 45.2 overs. His other great performance was at Barnsley on 20 August when, in 42 overs, he took thirteen wickets for 27 in a match against a Barnsley XXII. This match occasioned great interest with a total of 8,000 spectators attending and gate receipts totalling £120. A gala took place after the match complete with a brass band accompaniment. Only one Barnsley player managed to reach double figures as the local side were bowled out for 46 and 44. Eleven ducks were recorded. The AEE made 134 in their innings and won by an innings and 44 runs. The AEE were beaten by a Yorkshire XXII at York on 2, 3 and 4 July, before defeating XXII of Gainsborough by 49 runs on 12, 13 and 14 July. One of the local players, G.E.Cotterill, made one huge hit in the course of his first innings of 31 which measured 122 yards from the wicket to the pitch. Jackson took two wickets for 31 at Gainsborough, having taken six for 54 against Yorkshire. At Sheffield on 16, 17 and 18 July the AEE met XVIII