Voce's overcoat
When Hampshire played Nottinghamshire in the championship at Northlands Road in May 1930 the third and final day began with Hampshire requiring just one run to complete a five-wicket victory.
At the end of the extra half-hour on the second day, Nottinghamshire captain Arthur Carr, evidently in no rush to get back to the east Midlands, refused to start another over just to get the game finished.
Next morning his team took to the field in lounge suits and overcoats. Voce handed his overcoat to the umpire before bowling the first ball of the day. From the second came the required run.
Thirty-two years later Arthur Carr suffered a fatal heart attack while shovelling snow.
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Brian Halford - Brian Halford’s look at Edgbaston.
A great story. Carr's decision may have been to do with a hope that it would rain all day and allow his side to escape with a draw. It may have been to do with some long-standing grudge with Hampshire or their captain. Or he may have fancied another night sampling the delights of Southampton's hostelries. Having just read Duncan Hamilton's excellent book on Harold Larwood I incline to the last explanation!
However, it wasn't Bill Voce who delivered the two balls necessary for Alec Kennedy to strike the winning runs. It was Carr himself. There is a wonderful photo of the incident in the Tempus book "Images of Sport- Hampshire CCC showing a right-arm bowler dollying up the ball to Kennedy. The Notts players are attired in suits, overcoats and hats, while the Hampshire batsmen and umpires are correctly dressed.
Ah yes thank you Red Baron. I see from cricketarchive that Carr's figures in the second innings were 0.2-0-4-0.
What a shame that at Edgbaston in 2005, when Nottinghamshire resumed on the third day on eight without loss in pursuit of a victory target of 12, Nick Knight's Warwickshire team did not turn out in overcoats and, perhaps, trilbies.
It's all so serious these days!