All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

130 Tich Freeman happened. He probably should have played more. Turning 40 in 1928, maybe he was thought too old. Or perhaps his personality told against him. Much-loved, he had a natural humility. There was no fuss, he just ‘got on with it’. Kent v Essex, 1930 County Championship Southchurch Park, Southend–on-Sea on 13, 14, 15 August 1930 (3-day match) Toss won by Kent Kent won by 277 runs Umpires: W Bestwick, WR Parry Kent 122 (K Farnes 5-36) and 422-9 dec (AM Crawley 175; Essex 145 (AP Freeman 10-53) and 122 (AP Freeman 6-41) Essex first innings LG Crawley lbw b Freeman 22 DF Pope c Bryan b Freeman 38 J O’Connor lbw b Freeman 19 CAG Russell not out 47 JA Cutmore c Knott b Freeman 6 MS Nichols st Ames b Freeman 0 *HWF Franklin c Bryan b Freeman 1 +JR Sheffield st Ames b Freeman 0 K Farnes b Freeman 1 TPB Smith c Woolley b Freeman 1 HJ Palmer b Freeman 0 Extras (b 5, lb 5) 10 Total (all out, 72.4 overs) 145 Fall of wickets 1-39, 2-68, 3-113, 4-127, 5-129, 6-137, 7-137, 8-139, 9-145, 10-145 Kent bowling: AC Wright 13-2-25-0, WH Ashdown 9-2-23-0, AP Freeman 30.4-8-53-10, CW Peach 6-1-14-0, HTW Hardinge 14-6-20-0 Kent: AM Crawley, HTW Hardinge, FE Woolley, LEG Ames (wk), WH Ashdown, JL Bryan (capt), CH Knott, LJ Todd, AC Wright, AP Freeman, CW Peach Although Freeman’s short Test career was over he continued to take first- class wickets in vast numbers. His second all-ten came just over a year later in the first match of the Southend Festival Week, against a decent Essex side that would finish the season sixth in the Championship, just one place below Kent. Essex still played most of their matches at their Leyton headquarters, but a couple of matches were played every year at spacious Southchurch Park, usually timed to take advantage of the holiday season. With its invigorating air and other seaside delights it was a popular venue. It was an interesting ground with two cricket pavilions (for the two clubs that used the ground), a large pond and of course, when the circus came to town, a number of bright marquees.