His first match for Lancashire was on the 27th and 28th May 1869 at Old Trafford against Surrey, when he batted at the first wicket down and made a pair. On 16th and 17th August he travelled with the team to Brighton to play against Sussex and again batting at number three he scored 7 and 17.

He played regularly for Enfield, Arthur Appleby's club, from 1869 to 1886, usually keeping wicket. He always played as an amateur for his club.

There were a number of J. Smalleys living in the Accrington area at the time of the 1881 Census. The two favourites for the cricketer are John, 44 Warner Street, aged 42, a grocer, with a wife, Isabella, four daughters and two sons. Joseph, 209 Burnley Road, was a machinery salesman, aged 34, who had a wife, Hannah, three daughters and two sons, an unmarried sister Anne aged 41, and one domestic servant. He died at Accrington 10th June 1922, aged 75. One of these two, or perhaps another?

(Article: Copyright © 2004 Don Ambrose)

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