Lives in Cricket No 5 - Rockley Wilson

Chapter Nine Australia and After It may have been the highlight of his career, but Rockley Wilson was a surprise selection for the MCC tour of Australia in 1920/21. 77 He was not included in the party that was announced on 26 July, 1920 with R.H.Spooner as captain, a “happy choice” as The Times put it. By that date Rockley had yet to appear that summer for Yorkshire. But Spooner had played little cricket that season and was troubled by injuries: he had been badly wounded twice in the First World War. After some heart-searching, Spooner announced on 16 August that he would not be able to tour. The vice-captain, J.W.H.T.Douglas, was then invited to take on the captaincy, and the selectors announced that another amateur would be added to the party later, with P.G.H.Fender now being the only one, other than Douglas himself. On 18 August, by when Rockley Wilson had appeared in four games for Yorkshire in which he collected 17 wickets – and, as we have seen, impressed Neville Cardus – came the announcement that he was the chosen amateur. The Times described Wilson, somewhat unenthusiastically, as “a fine all-round cricketer, a good batsman and a very accurate bowler.” There were some who applauded his selection however. E.H.D.Sewell, for example, thought not only that Rockley Wilson was the ideal man to go but also that he should have been captain of the side. Sewell thought the line “caught Hendren bowled Wilson” would be “one to keep the compositors busy before long.” When Rockley approached his Headmaster at Winchester for leave of absence to enable him to accept the invitation, the response was a discouraging, “Who are the MCC and what are they doing in Australia?” Nevertheless, leave was granted. Later still, the selectors invited the all-rounder V.W.C.Jupp, who had turned amateur the previous season, to join the party but he declined and the additional place went to J.W.Hitch, the Surrey professional and quick bowler. The selectors may have had Jupp in mind to take 77 77 Much of the material in this chapter on the 1920/21 tour of Australia has previously been published by the writer in his article, Rockley Wilson’s Only Test, Journal of the Cricket Society , Autumn 2005.