Lives in Cricket No 43 - John Jackson

66 Still at the Top T.Lockyer 108* hit centuries, T.Humphrey adding 75 as Surrey ran up an enormous score for those days of 468. Jackson toiled manfully for 62 overs to take three for 98. Nottinghamshire replied with 283 with Alfred Shaw hitting 64, Richard Daft 56 and T.Bignall 49. In the follow-on C.Brampton scored 82 but Nottinghamshire could only muster 188 and Surrey were left with 4 runs to make to win by ten wickets. In the return at Trent Bridge on 28 and 29 July it was much closer before Surrey finally prevailed by one wicket. Jackson took four for 28 in 30 overs in the match and with Jem Grundy he made a determined effort to turn the tide when Surrey were set just 62 to win. The game was extended by 22 minutes after the official 7.00 pm finishing time to enable a result to be achieved in two days. In a low-scoring match Nottinghamshire made 107 and 81, Surrey 127 and 63 for 9. The first great County match ever played on the Crystal Palace ground at Sydenham on 21, 22 and 23 July saw Nottinghamshire beat Kent by 74 runs scoring 143 and 165 with Kent making 124 and 110. Jackson took two for 46 in 49 overs, still economical even if his strike rate was not what it once was. The match against Cambridgeshire at Lord’s on 18, 19 July was arranged to replace the North v South fixture which should have been played on those dates. Cambridgeshire won by 18 runs with Jackson only bowling in the first innings when he took one for 19 in 17 overs. His All-England sparring partner, George Tarrant took seven for 30 in the Nottinghamshire first innings. Two other colleagues from the England team, T.Hayward and R.Carpenter with 40 and 29 respectively, Mahala Jackson.