All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

128 Tich Freeman Kent: HTW Hardinge, GS Watson, FE Woolley, LEG Ames (wk), WH Ashdown, BH Valentine, LJ Todd, IS Akers-Douglas, GB Legge (capt), AP Freeman, AC Wright By the start of the 1929 season Freeman already had many records under his belt, but he still hadn’t taken an all-ten. He had come close, notably at Hastings in 1921 when Herbert Wilson declared the Sussex second innings closed leaving him with figures of nine for 87, and at Hove a year later when Frank Woolley took the last wicket after Tich had taken the first nine for a mere 11, robbing him of a world record analysis. However, he finally remedied the omission at beautiful Mote Park, Maidstone at the end of July. Kent were captained by Geoffrey Legge who had scored a century against Lancashire at Maidstone two years before when he partnered Percy Chapman (260) in putting on 284 for the sixth wicket. With eleven wins from eighteen matches Kent went into the match leading the Championship. It was the second match of the Maidstone Week. In the first, Kent had beaten Sussex by an innings before lunch on the second day (Freeman thirteen for 105), but they were to win just one more match and finish the season a disappointing eighth. Nine of the Lancashire team had been on the receiving end of Gubby Allen’s all-ten the previous month. The two absentees were Bill Farrimond, replaced behind the stumps by George Duckworth, and Gordon Hodgson who was replaced by Leslie Warburton. Farrimond and Hodgson were both playing for the Second Eleven against Cheshire at Warrington where Eddie Paynter, not yet established in the Lancashire first team, top scored in both innings. Warburton had an unusual career. Aged 19 he played four matches for Lancashire in 1929. He next appeared in the 1936 Roses Match and, a fortnight later, on the strength of his fast-medium bowling in the Central Lancashire League, in the North v South Test Trial at Lord’s. He then played two final matches in 1938, one for Lancashire and one for an England XI against the Australians at Blackpool. Lancashire batted first in front of a good crowd, as usual opening with the stylish left-hander Charlie Hallows and the obdurate Frank Watson. Hallows had started the season well, carrying his bat for 152 in the Whitsun Roses Match, but had failed to reach three figures since. The pitch was fast and easy-paced and the outfield quick, and after the opening bowlers had failed to break through Freeman was given an early bowl and soon had Hallows caught behind. Watson had made 169 against Surrey in his previous innings and continued where he left off, making another century and holding the innings together before he was eventually trapped in front by a quicker top spinner. With Tyldesley also prospering Lancashire had been well placed at 234 for two but the remaining batsmen proved incapable of mastering Freeman’s varied spin, seven wickets falling for 77 runs. With his ninth wicket Freeman set a record for the best-ever figures at Maidstone, previously held by Frank Woolley who took eight for 22 against Gloucestershire in 1921, but he then had to sweat a bit for the coveted tenth wicket.