50 Years a Club Cricketer
A tribute to Bill Adamson – as published in the Leytonstone Express and Independent, 1946
50 years ago Bill Adamson first played in club cricket and he is still turning out for one of the Chingford Elevens this season.
He now admits to being 65 and when I saw him recently he was recovering from a bout of bronchitis but hoped to play in the next cricket match.
Bill Adamson must surely be one of the most remarkable of club cricket veterans so far as this area is concerned, for although his bowling arm drops gradually lower as one season follows another, his enthusiasm never wanes and he still collects wickets for Chingford’s 3rd team now, not the 1st. But for years he was a valuable stock bowler for the 1st XI with many fine performances to his credit.
When taken off for a rest after a lengthy spell with the ball he was always somewhat aggrieved and to the best of my knowledge still feels that way when the same thing happens today
A good ball which beat the bat always drew a self conscious cough from Bill who must have taken thousands of wickets – he has no idea how many – since he played his first club game against Mitcham on Mitcham Green 50 year ago at the age of 15.
For a number of years he played for the old Leyton Cricket Club and in the same side were the late Laurie Eastman of Essex, AH Meston who also played for the County and is well known in local club cricket, and HA Pryor, who now plays for Chingford.
Bill recalls clean bowling the late Percy Perrin and Bob Carpenter at the nets at Leyton when still a youth.
When well past the age when most people pass their cricket gear onto someone else Bill Adamson was opening the bowling for Chingford 1st xi in the season of 1932 when they were unbeaten throughout the season.
As recently as last season I saw him make a brilliant catch at mid-off to bring about the early dismissal of LW Newman, scorer of more hundreds than any other club cricketer, but then in the field his hands were always as safe as they were large, and he is still more sprightly than some who are 40 years younger.
Bill has ever been encouraging to young players of promise, he has never been known to bat, bowl or field without wearing a cap, and he never ceases to remind others that he used to get runs. He certainly got them on one particular occasion just when they were wanted in a remarkable last wicket partnership when all seemed lost.