Lives in Cricket No 43 - John Jackson

69 Still at the Top circumstances a finish could not be obtained and the large crowd had a frustrating wait. So boisterous was the weather on the third day that part of the Kendal Club pavilion was blown down. The AEE made 58, Kendal relying with 103. In their second innings the AEE were 9 for 3 in the time that play that was possible. Jackson played in 12 AEE matches, playing 21 innings with 5 not outs and scoring 149 runs at an average of 9.31. He took 51 wickets which was his lowest return for some time and he took 15 catches. It seemed as if his powers were on the wane, but the 1865 season was to prove such thoughts premature. John Jackson only appeared in ten first-class matches, 29 wickets for 340 runs at 11.72 and 276.1 overs of which 124 were maidens and took 26 wickets at an average of 11.50. Seven of these were County fixtures for Nottinghamshire, six of which were won. Jackson was wicketless in the first fixture of the year when Sussex were thrashed at Trent Bridge on 1, 2 and 3 June in the first match between the two counties since 1853. Batting first, Nottinghamshire scored 208 with Daft making 67and Parr, by now in his 21st season with the County scoring 54. Sussex collapsed twice for 84 and 38 with Jackson’s bowling not being needed as Jem Grundy took five for 6 in 25 overs in the second Sussex innings, having taken five for 37 in 33 overs in the first. The Nottinghamshire margin of victory was an innings and 86 runs. Surrey, who came to Trent Bridge on 26, 27 and 28 June, proved to be a sterner test and Nottinghamshire owed much to W.Oscroft who batted through their first innings for 53* out of a total of 94. Jackson did not bowl in Surrey’s first innings of 137 but returned like a giant refreshed to take seven for 25 in 20.3 overs in their second innings of 81. Six of his victims were bowled and one was lbw. Nottinghamshire made light of the 125 they needed to win, losing only two wickets. Continuing the good form Nottinghamshire beat Yorkshire at Bradford in two days – 6 and 7 July – by an innings and 30 runs. Daft made 66 of the Nottinghamshire total of 233. Yorkshire could only manage 130 and 73. Jackson took four for 30 in 17.1 overs in the match. The return match with Surrey at the Oval on 13, 14 and 15 July saw Nottinghamshire lose by one wicket in an interesting match. Oscroft hit up 69 and Jackson 22 as Nottinghamshire made 157 in the first innings, a score that Surrey bettered by 13. The Nottinghamshire second innings score was 207 helped by an 86 from C.Brampton and 28 from Jackson. Surrey needed 195 to win and with Jem Grundy taking eight for 68 had been reduced to 181 for 9 when T.Sewell came in to join Heathfield Stephenson who was 75*. Sewell hit off the remaining runs amidst some controversy as the Nottinghamshire players were convinced that Sewell had been clearly stumped but the umpiring decision went against them. The dispute was so serious that fixtures were not renewed for 1866. Nottinghamshire returned to winning ways by completing the double over Yorkshire in a topsy-turvy match at Trent Bridge on 27, 28 and 29 July