1947
County Championship 11th (tied with Essex and Somerset) W6, D14, L6)
Captain William Sime
This was the season that will live long in English cricket history with warm, dry days that brought a glut of runs.
Playfair described 1947 as ‘Edrich and Compton year’. Between them, the Middlesex duo scored 7,355 runs, took 140 wickets and held 66 catches. The records achieved by Compton of most runs (3,816) and most centuries (18) in a season will never be broken, especially given the reduction in First-Class matches which began in 1969.
No Nottinghamshire player could match those two but even so, Joe Hardstaff passed 2,000 runs and four others – Walter Keeton, Tom Reddick, Reg Simpson and Harry Winrow – each passed the 1,000-run mark.
The county made something of a late, and surprising, choice to replace the retiring George Heane with Capt William Sime as skipper.
Sime went to Bedford School and consequently played for Bedfordshire, where he was appointed captain in 1934, but moved to Nottingham the same year.
He played for Notts Amateurs and made his Nottinghamshire first team debut versus Cambridge University at Fenner’s in May 1935, though his actual First-Class debut had been made back in 1929 when he represented Minor Counties v Lancashire at Old Trafford.
He was not seen again seen in the Nottinghamshire ranks until 1939, when he played in two matches, but appeared occasionally for Nottinghamshire 2nd XI. In 1942/43 Sime played for a combined RAF XI versus the Rest of South Africa in Johannesburg, his only First-Class match overseas.
It came as something of a surprise to the cricketing public when it was announced on 2 April 1947 that Sime had been invited to captain Nottinghamshire in succession to George Heane; even as late as March 1947 he was not listed in the amateurs available to play for Nottinghamshire for that year. His first game as captain was on 14 May 1947 against Worcestershire at Trent Bridge.
It was his first full season of county cricket and he proved a very useful batter, scoring 619 runs. His best score of 1947 was 69 versus Middlesex at Lord's, when it was the highest score for Nottinghamshire in either innings.
In his first report as Club Captain, he said “The last season can be looked at in at least two ways as regards the performance of the Notts XI. It was either very much better than a lot of people expected or a good deal worse than some people hoped.
“In any event, as far as the side was concerned, it was pleasant season with only two whole days lost through rain.”
The shortage of bowlers – Bill Voce retired during the season having started just five matches –was a great handicap; Harold Butler (88 wickets) and Arthur Jepson (115) did yeoman work and were a magnificent pair of opening bowlers.
The batting, as mentioned earlier, was much stronger; thirteen players scored at least one half-century. Walter Keeton, besides having a well-deserved benefit, was his usual sparkling self and provided many good starts, being ably supported by Charlie Harris and Guy Willat.
It took a while for Nottinghamshire’s strengths to come to the fore. The first eight matches did not produce a single victory – three defeats and five draws. Unlike the previous season when weather intervened to produce a number of drawn games, in 1947 it was the batting friendly conditions that made victories hard to come by.
A home draw with Worcestershire was notable only for Bill Voce capturing his 1200th First-Class wicket when he bowled Fred Cooper in the first innings.
The trip to Loughborough did not end well – Notts falling to just 99 all out in their first innings to lose by 10 wickets to Leicestershire.
An even heavier defeat followed, Notts had yet to prove that these were batting friendly days, as Gloucestershire, with 393 based on centuries from Jack Crapp and George Emmett, won by an innings and 167 runs; Notts made 129 and 97. Tom Goddard, who was to finish with 238 wickets in the season, took 15 in the match.
Notts seemed to have made good runs in the home fixture against Surrey, only for their first innings total of 401 to be eclipsed by Surrey’s 706-4 dec! (Four Surrey batters made centuries).
A second innings of 201-4 was sufficient to see Notts to a home draw.
Two more drawn games followed, at home to Essex and away against Kent. In the Essex match, Keeton made 188 and Hardstaff 134 as Notts compiled 662-8; the visitors responded with 324 all out and were 180-4 when play ended.
Centuries by Charlie Harris and Keeton for Nottinghamshire, and 212 by Kent keeper Les Ames ensured another high-scoring draw.
Yet more big scores followed when Notts went to Lord’s. Jack Robertson (183) and Syd Brown (155) put on 310 for Middlesex’s first wicket. Notts could not match that sort of prowess and lost by 7 wickets.
The next match against Warwickshire was one of the few that was rain affected and with no play on the first day it was not possible to get a positive result. Keeton and Hardstaff again made hundreds.
A first home win of the season came against Kent with two more Notts players making centuries – in this instance Harry Winrow and Tom Reddick. They were ably supported by Arthur Jepson who took 12-138 in the match as Notts won by an innings and 17 runs.
The next match, away at Bramall Lane, saw Notts beat Yorkshire by 185 runs, skittling the Tykes for 121 and 134 – Harold Butler taking five wickets in each innings, including Bill Bowes, who became Harold’s 500th First-Class wicket.
Reg Simpson’s 154 was the only notable feature of a home draw with Gloucestershire and the only non-Championship game of the season, at home to the touring South Africans, also ended in a draw.
Sussex were beaten at Hove by, yet again, seven wickets; Harry Winrow’s first innings 109 was bettered for the home side by George Cox’s 165 but Notts were still able to wrap up the fairly comfortable win.
This was a season when four points were awarded for a first innings lead, which meant that one or two games were tense battles for first innings points when it became clear that an outright win was not possible.
One such was the home draw versus Lancashire. Lancs, led by a century from Winston Place, made 398 and Notts secured the four points with Keeton and Simpson making hundreds in the home side’s 475-5. This was a match of batting milestones; Hardstaff and Keeton each reached 1,000 Championship runs for the season and Keeton also marked 17,000 Championship runs. Charlie Harris was not too far behind, recording his 15,000th First-Class run.
The next three fixtures were all drawn – away to Somerset and at home to Yorkshire and Hampshire. Rain washed day two of the Hampshire match which meant it turned into an attritional pursuit of a first innings ‘win’. The visitors, with 310-4 against Nottinghamshire’s 256-4, took the points.
In a summer of high scores, the match against Derbyshire at Ilkeston rather bucked the trend. The home county, with 141 and 184, securing a 15-run win, dismissing Notts for 100 and 210.
A more substantial defeat followed as Middlesex, with centuries from Robertson and Alan Fairbairn, won by 287 runs.
Bill Sime enthused about the next match – an away win against Surrey. “Against Surrey during the August Bank Holiday week, Surrey who batted second, completed their first innings at 12.20pm on the third day, and finished 103 runs behind.
“In spite of this, the match was finished; Surrey losing with 20 minutes to go having been ‘ahead of the clock’ right up to the last, and this was in spite of the fact that Butler was unable to bowl. The fielding in this match was particularly keen and safe, in fact, the turning point of the match was a brilliant piece of fielding by [Bill] Ellis, the twelfth man, who was substitute for Butler.”
Harold Gimblett, who had guested for Notts in a war time match in 1942, enjoyed his return to Trent Bridge, making 118 as Somerset batted first. He was eclipsed on this occasion by both Keeton (113) and Joe Hardstaff who made exactly 200no. Notts took the first innings points in a drawn game.
More big scores were recorded in the next match, also drawn, against Derbyshire. Charlie Elliott with 215 and John Eggar, who made 173, put on 349 for the second wicket – still a record stand for the county – and Derby declared at 496-3. Notts replied with Harry Winrow making 204 and Peter Harvey, in only his second Championship game, 125, reaching 519-5.
Hardstaff made another double century – 202 – in the draw against Worcestershire at Dudley, with Don Kenyon and Charles Palmer making hundreds for the home side.
Winston Place – who seemed to have a particular liking for the Notts bowling, making seven of his First-Class hundreds against them – made 105 and 132 in the game at Old Trafford, steering Lancashire to an 84-run victory. Joe Hardstaff embellished his successful season even in defeat, making his 20,000th First-Class run in a second innings 81 and recording a career-high 4-43 with his medium pacers.
Nottinghamshire’s fortunes picked up as the season came to a close with two wins and a draw in the last three matches.
Northamptonshire were beaten by 236 runs, despite Notts only making 219 in the first innings; with a lead of 61, they set about building a big second innings, based on hundreds from Guy Willatt and (again) Hardstaff.
The home draw against Glamorgan featured four more centuries – Simpson and Hardstaff for Notts and Emrys Davies and Phil Clift for the visitors.
Warwickshire made a respectable 302 batting first at Trent Bridge but hey another Hardstaff double hundred, 221no. ensure that Notts took a handsome lead and they successfully chased down the 192 needed for the loss of just two wickets (Keeton making the final ton of the season, 103no).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the fine weather and the batting records, 1947 proved popular with the cricketing public.
William Sime commented, “One of the most striking features of First-Class cricket last summer was the very great interest which was taken by the public. Not only were there very large attendees at Trent Bridge for nearly all County matches, but away from home this keenness was exhibited on all grounds where we played.
“This interest did not only extent to the County matches but was very evident in the Sunday matches which we played in Nottinghamshire for Keeton’s benefit, and in some of the other counties for local benefits.”
“Our aim”, he added, “is to play cricket, and cricket which it is a delight to watch and a joy to play, and above all a credit to Nottinghamshire whatever the result may be” …sentiments that would find much support in the County’s approach today.
December 2025
Scorecards and stats can be seen here