Born in Nottingham on 29 November 1836, George Paling was a right-hand batsman and round-arm medium-pacer who played seven First- Class matches for Nottinghamshire between 1865 and 1867.
He appeared for the Colts initially, in April 1865, and made his debut for the county in August the same year v Cambridgeshire at Old Trafford, scoring 5 in his only innings as Notts won by an innings and 86 runs. Against the same team, at Fenner’s in 1867, he made his top First-Class score of 41no in another comfortable Notts victory. He made a most unusual contribution to Notts' game against the Free Foresters in August 1865 for which he was not selected but actually fielded substitute for both teams. Thomas Bignall, himself a late replacement for Richard Daft, was not on the ground when the Foresters opened the batting on the first morning, so Paling fielded for Bignall until he arrived. The Free Foresters were even worse off for players, three being absent when it came their turn to field - and Paling, with two other non-combatant colleagues, was again asked to act as substitute. The Nottingham Daily Express review of the game commented that "Paling particularly distinguished himself in the field, and as he has been before noticed as a promising player...and will no doubt, by perseverance, prove an acquistion to the old county".
Paling played one First Class game for the United England Eleven (UEE) v the All England Eleven in May 1867 when he scored 15 and 10; he did not bowl in any of his eight First Class matches. His figures, therefore, were 148 runs at 13.45, top score 41no and he took three catches.
He played several times for the UEE, twice for the rival All England Eleven and twice for the United North of England Eleven. In the final match for which a scorecard is available, Paling represented Kidderminster v Worcestershire and took six wickets in the first innings with two more when Worcester batted again; he scored 11 in Kidderminster’s only innings.
Among his known engagements he was at Magdalen College, Oxford; at Enville Hall, Staffordshire; and Trinity College, Glenalmond in Perthshire, in addition to his many appearances for UEE. Whilst in Scotland, he represented the Players of Scotland v the Gentlemen of Scotland, making 15 and 26 in a narrow defeat.
George Paling died back in his home town of Nottingham on 18 December 1879.
July 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 110