Lives in Cricket No 5 - Rockley Wilson

Chapter Five Winchester It is time to return to the chronology of Rockley Wilson’s life and cricket career. On leaving Cambridge, Rockley obtained a teaching post at Winchester College which had the reputation of being the most intellectual of the public schools, but which also had a fine cricketing tradition, and he played no more first-class cricket in England until 1913. He had in fact indicated to Lord Hawke that he would be willing to play for Yorkshire in the 1903 season, but he had to rescind this when he was asked to take up his post at Winchester earlier than he had expected in order to replace E.H.Buckland, who had fallen ill, as the master in charge of cricket. H.D.G.Leveson Gower claimed that he had recommended Wilson to Buckland as his successor after seeing Rockley’s debut innings for A.J.Webbe’s XI at Cambridge. His commendation read: “He is not only good at books but as far as cricket is concerned there cannot be anyone better to teach the youth. He is a very good batsman and his length is impeccable; added to this, his knowledge of cricket is prodigious.” 46 Whether Leveson Gower’s recommendation did bring about the appointment, his description of Rockley’s qualities was spot on. Yorkshire enquired as to Wilson’s availability in the school holidays for the 1904 season, though it is a moot point whether he could have commanded a place in the strong Yorkshire side of the time. Anyhow, as he explained, “I told Lord Hawke that, as I was only going to get a month’s cricket, I would rather play three matches a week than two, so I spent the summer holidays in 1903-12 playing country house two day cricket.” 47 Lord Hawke suggested that the real reason for his decision was “because he knew he could not get enough bowling, and he was so fond of it he would have liked to bowl both ends.” 48 49 46 Sir Henry Leveson Gower, Off and On the Field , Stanley Paul, 1953, p.35. 47 A.W.Pullin, History of Yorkshire County Cricket , 1903-1923 , Chorley and Pickersgill, 1924, p.232. 48 Lord Hawke, Recollections and Reminiscences , Williams and Norgate, 1924, p.280.