Born in Worksop on 26 March 1860, Joseph Garside Pearson was a good batsman and change bowler. He appeared in the Colts XXII versus Notts in 1879, 1882 and 1883 when in the latter season he captained the side. In 1882 he played for XXII Colts of England v MCC at Lord's. On 27 July 1883, he hit 123 not out for Worksop v Notts Forest and the following day 54 not out for Worksop v Mansfield Woodhouse. These two innings gained him a place in the Notts side v Surrey at the Oval on 6, 7 and 8 August 1883. He scored one but was brought on as Notts’ sixth bowler and made an immediate and unlikely impact, finishing with figures of 3.1-2-1-3. This amazed his friends in Worksop, as he rarely was put on to bowl in local cricket. He never again played in First-Class cricket and so statistically has the best average ever achieved by a Notts bowler!
Pearson, who was a plumber, died aged 31 years of cancer on 18 January 1892, at Boughton.
June 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 181