Lives in Cricket No 6 - Bill Copson

The newly acclaimed champions celebrated on their cross-country journey back to the Midlands by train – no doubt more discreetly than they would do now – and travelled to Oakham School, for another ‘small town’ match, to finish their wonderful season, with an emphatic innings defeat of Leicestershire. The home side were dismissed twice for 151 and 121, Copson finishing his Championship season with a further seven wickets. Derbyshire, having lost Worthington to the first ball of the innings, then had a partnership of 209 by Denis Smith and Stanley Worthington for the second wicket. Derbyshire’s final record in 28 Championship matches was won 13, drawn eleven and lost four. Formal celebrations followed in the county after their return to the county town on 1 September. The team was entertained at The Drill Hall, Derby on that date by the tenth Duke of Devonshire who was Lord Lieutenant of the county and also President of the County Cricket Club. He had left a shooting party at Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire specially. Also present were the Mayors of Glossop, Ilkeston, Chesterfield, Buxton and Burton-on-Trent. A telegram of congratulation was received from Lord Hawke, the President of Yorkshire. The Duke of Devonshire specifically called upon Bill Copson and Stanley Worthington, who had just been selected to tour Australia, to come to the platform to shake hands with him. A dance followed, music being provided by the Fifth Battalion of The Sherwood Foresters, part of the Territorial Army. A testimonial fund was set up for the players, from which later they were all provided with a watch. Above all though, there was pride that the winning of the championship had been achieved by a side comprised largely of players born and coached within the county. 17 As a result of his outstanding performances during the season Copson gained the honour of selection by the Editor of Wisden as one of the Five Cricketers of the Year for 1936 in the following year’s edition published early in 1937. The others selections were his playing colleague Stanley Worthington, V.M.Merchant from the Indian tourists, A.R.Gover and C.J.Barnett. Annus Mirabilis 31 17 Derbyshire had fielded twenty players in the season’s Championship matches; fifteen were born within the county. The five born outside the county’s boundaries made a total of 26 appearances between them. Most of the professionals had been ‘brought on’ through the County Club’s own ‘nursery’ run by Sam Cadman, who had himself played 375 matches for the county between 1900 and 1926, and who had been the county’s coach since 1926.