Michael Parkinson traces Conan Doyle's cricket story "Spedegue's Dropper" as inspiration for Joe Cover
By
Michael Parkinson
Sesame, salt, and substance. A flagship bake.
Summary
Michael Parkinson explores the origins of a cricket-themed short story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle called "Spedegue's Dropper." The story features Tom Spedegue, an asthmatic schoolmaster with a weak heart who practices a unique cricket delivery in the New Forest. Parkinson connects this to the comic-book hero Joe Cover, who perfected the "high dropping full toss" — a delivery that comes out of the clouds to land on top of the stumps. The article investigates whether Cover's creator was inspired by Conan Doyle's work.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledHaving established with the help of our readers that Joe Cover was the comic-book hero who perfected the high dropping full toss, which came out of the clouds to land on top of the stumps, the greater mystery remained.
The best evidence suggested that Cover's creator was familiar with the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, particularly a short story called Spedegue's Dropper.
Tom Spedegue was an asthmatic schoolmaster suffering from a weak heart who practised in the New Forest by lobbing a cricket ball.
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