Lives in Cricket No 6 - Bill Copson

colleague George Pope, who had another excellent season, played in the Test Trial and was among those chosen to attend for the First Test at Trent Bridge without making his debut, for which he had to wait until after the war. His best performance was in the game against Nottinghamshire at Ilkeston, where he had a fine spell in the second innings, taking seven wickets for fifty nine runs when the county were dismissed for 204 runs. The home team knocked off the 207 runs required for victory for the loss of only one wicket. He had also played his part as a batsman in this match as he came to the wicket in his usual position as last man when the county still required 41 runs for a first innings lead. He helped Harry Elliott, the wicket-keeper, to add 40 runs for the tenth wicket to level the scores, of which he made four. He had another good return in the very next match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, a game set aside for G.A.E.Paine’s benefit. Bill did not do him many favours however as he dismissed him in both innings for a pair! The convention of giving the beneficiary one run off the mark it would appear was not honoured for some reason. Copson took four Warwickshire second innings wickets for five runs on the last morning to finish with six for 36 and a match return of nine for 76. Derbyshire won by an innings. He had two more impressive performances before the end of the season. Derbyshire easily overcame Worcestershire at Derby, when Bill had another inspired spell in the visitors’ second innings with four wickets for eleven runs to finish six for 38 and nine in the match. Again in the very next match he bowled well to take five Nottinghamshire first innings wickets including the first three batsmen for only thirteen runs. He had ended his seventh first-class English season with an aggregate of 662 wickets at an average of 18.24. Although he had accomplished some excellent performances and impressed a number of people with his very hostile bowling, there was a general feeling that he was injury prone and perhaps lacked the stamina to perform effectively at a higher level. Although he was just under six feet tall, his somewhat under-nourished upbringing had not given him the extra strength and build that was required of a top class bowler. His performances this summer did not bring him anywhere near consideration for the winter tour to South Test Cricket, At Last 49