Joseph Stanley (or possibly Stockley) Need, was born in York Street, Nottingham on 22 February 1819, and was a lacemaker.
He appears just twice in First-Class matches, with a 14-year gap between appearances. In August 1841 he played for Notts v Kent at Trent Bridge and scored 1 and 0; although usually a wicket-keeper, he was played as a batsman only, Butler Parr being keeper. Need's second and last time was in August 1855 when kept in a match v England; he scored 15no and 6 and made one stumping. In a practice match that same summer he hit 72no, which may have secured him the spot in the England game. His last appearance was in 1879, for the Veterans of Nottinghamshire v Veterans of Leicestershire - he made nought in his only innings but again took one stumping.
A good wicketkeeper, he was unable to compete with the expertise of Charley Brown, hence his short career at the top level.
Like many Nottingham men in the lace trade, he emigrated to Calais in 1859 and found himself appointed as pro to the Boulogne Cricket Club, where he built a great reputation. He returned to England in 1867, when he was a coach at Oxford, but retired after two seasons.
He moved to Dunkirk, Nottingham, and remarried in 1892, just four months before his death, on 25 August. His son, Philip, was the pavilion keeper at Lord’s at the time of his father’s demise.
July 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 47