Lives in Cricket No 5 - Rockley Wilson

Rockley’s performances in 1895, the first of these, were not particularly eye-catching. The school magazine’s verdict was “Did not do himself justice as a bat; a little too impatient to score; fair right hand slow bowler; a good field.” 12 In 1896 he was more successful. In that season he was third in the batting averages with 24.86 from 14 innings and he topped the bowling averages with 28 wickets at 15.00. In the annual Rugby v Marlborough match at Lord’s, Wilson had an outstanding game with the ball. Marlborough were beaten by an innings and 35 runs in a single day, Wilson taking three for 24 and six for 19 in the Marlborough innings. Recognition of his development into a fine all-round player, and a thinking cricketer, came with his election as captain of the “Light Blues” for the 1897 season. 13 It was a very successful season for the young man, although he was out of action for a month with a broken finger sustained in the match against Balliol College in June. Rockley Wilson topped both the batting and the bowling averages with 460 runs at 51.11 and 31 wickets at 14.93. His batting average was boosted by an innings of 206 not out against New College, Oxford in May. The College were dismissed for 139. Opening the innings for Rugby, Wilson was joined at 39 for three wickets by W.G.Cobb. The pair then batted through to the close in an unbeaten stand of 308, with Cobb completing his own century in the process. “Wilson scored at a great pace off all the bowlers opposed to him, his cutting, leg-hitting and driving being all equally good.” 14 In the match against Trinity College, Cambridge, Rockley scored 100 out of a score of 193 for four in a handsome Rugby victory over the university students. In the annual fixture with Marlborough in 1897 Rugby lost by three wickets but Wilson again had an outstanding match, this time with the ball, taking seven for 66 and three for 52. W.J.Ford, in his annual review for Wisden in 1898, remarked: “Wilson was School and University 20 Rockley Wilson as captain of the Rugby School side, 1897. 12 The Meteor , 18 October, 1895, p.109. 13 Rugby’s cricketers first wore duck egg blue shirts in 1843 and have continued to do so ever since. 14 The Meteor , 22 May, 1897, p.52.