William Clarke: the Old General by Peter Wynne-Thomas

Description

Born in Nottingham in 1798, William Clarke was an effective slow bowler of his time. His skill was such that pamphlets were published on how to counter his wiles. In 1846 he left Trent Bridge and set up the All-England Eleven as a commercial enterpise hiring the best players of the day. His team then toured Britain playing fixtures in industrial cities and old county towns and attracting crowds who came and, more importantly, paid to watch local players take on the big names of the game. In this way Clarke single-handedly changed the face of the known cricket world. 141pp, illus.