Lives in Cricket No 6 - Bill Copson

Engineers, was made vice-captain, and led the side in nine matches. Alfred Pope, a stalwart of the pre-war team, born the same year as Copson, decided to play League cricket, which he did most successfully for Mitchells and Butlers in the Birmingham League, as their professional for four seasons. Other former players who had retired were Tommy Mitchell and Leslie Townsend. Harry Elliott had also retired, to become an umpire, although he was to be recalled briefly to play in the following season. Bill Copson was now 38 years old and could, in accordance with the conventions of the time, reasonably expect to play for a few more seasons in the county side. As we have seen, he had maintained his skills with great success in Bradford, and now returned to live ‘full-time’ at Clay Cross, and was back at work with the Clay Cross Company. C.B.Fry, writing an article called ‘The Bowling Problem’, had this to say about him in The Cricketer magazine’s 1946 ‘Spring Annual’: ‘How easy to forget the talent we already possess – known talent. For instance what of W.H. Copson of Derby? In England I have heard he bowls rather short. I have not noticed this myself. I have seen him bowl well and with success in Australia, but he could not in the 36-37 team displace Allen who was captain, nor Voce who is left handed, nor Farnes who was apparently more outright fast. But I am sure that if Australia had as good a medium-fast bowler (and very lively off the pitch at that) we should be hearing something of his prospective terror. Myself, I have always admired Copson’s bowling and I do not know the reason of our silence about him.’ This was high praise indeed from one of this country’s most respected judges of cricketers and a legendary, though perhaps eccentric, journalist of his time. It remained to be seen if Bill could measure up to the standards expected of him in the immediate post-war period. With one of the weaker batting sides in the championship, and suffering from ‘slackness of fielding’ according to Wisden , Derbyshire had a most disappointing initial post-war summer. Often playing in cold, wet conditions, they had to wait until 5 July to record their first win of the season, a narrow two-wicket victory over Surrey at Derby. Altogether they won only five of their Championship fixtures, losing twelve and drawing the remainder, 66 Final First-Class Seasons