Lives in Cricket No 43 - John Jackson

46 At the Height of His Powers The AEE went on to lose their next match too, against XXII of Bradford, another long journey from Bath although there was a day’s break between these two matches unlike those in Dublin and Bath. They lost by 17 runs with Jackson taking two for 8 in 15 overs and six for 36 in 42 overs, while the local paper praised the fielding of the AEE men, particularly that of Jackson, Tinley, Tarrant and Carpenter, which frequently gained much merited applause from an appreciative crowd. On 10 June the AEE played a match for R.C.Tinley’s benefit at Burton-on- Trent where they beat a local XXII by an innings and 75 runs. Jackson took twelve wickets in the Burton-on-Trent first innings but did not bowl in their second knock. The next game was at Shugborough Park on 13, 14 and 15 June where the side lost by five wickets to a XXII got up by the Earl of Lichfield. Jackson bowled 63 overs in the match, taking three for 17 and six for 21. An interesting tale relating to this match was told by Richard Daft in his book, Kings of Cricket . He stated that on one of the days allotted to the match, Lord Lichfield gave his visitors permission to fish a piece of water in the park, called ‘The Stew’. Parr is said to have caught a number of pike in a short space of time. He sent one of the largest to a friend in Nottingham and, on the pike being opened, a whole rat was found in its stomach. Remaining in the Midlands the AEE played and beat a XXII of Walsall by an innings and 177 runs on 17, 18 and 19 June. Richard Daft hit 114 and Tom Hayward 60 as the AEE rattled up 305. Jackson was not required to bowl as Tinsley and Hayward bowled Walsall out for 50 and 78. Large crowds attended each day with special trains bringing regular and numerous passengers from the surrounding districts to watch the game. The Rifle Corps Band was there to keep the crowd entertained during intervals of play, but there were complaints about the dirt in the lane leading up to the Chuckery ground which, it was felt, the town authorities might have done more to dampen down. As soon as the match finished, the AEE rushed to catch a train to Nottingham whence they were due to go on to Grantham for their next match starting the following day against Captain H.E.Handley’s XVIII, a game which the AEE won by 34 runs. Jackson had the amazing figures of four for 6 in 11 overs as he proved himself the match- winner at the crux of the game. The highlight of the AEE’s next match against XVIII of Manchester Broughton Club which began on 27 June was the wonderful bowling of Edgar Willsher who bowled at one stage 25 consecutive overs for just one run. Jackson bowled well too, 54 overs in the match bringing him seven wickets for 78 runs. The Club beat the AEE by three wickets. John Jackson spent most of the following month playing in the first-class matches. He returned to AEE duties on 22 July at Chesterfield where the AEE beat XXII of Derbyshire by seven wickets, with Jackson dismissing 26 batsmen for 44 runs in 74 overs. Only one player reached double figures and there were 16 noughts.