Double Headers

46 four appearances for the county so far in 1919 – he had the dual assets of being an amateur who could captain the side, and also a wicket-keeper; Harold Benjamin , Alec Hastilow and Ernest Suckling , each of whom had played just a single county match so far; and Spinney Lane, who had been a regular in the county XI until the end of July but then dropped out of sight for a while (he was a successful self-made industrialist, whose work prevented him playing regular county cricket; in fact he did not play another first-class match until 1921). Apart from Lane, all these players were selected for the Edgbaston match against Worcestershire, and on that basis one could say that this core of the side against Worcestershire was pretty much the best or most experienced that Warwickshire were able to assemble. That still left six places to be filled. Warwickshire had no official Second XI in 1919, although promising players had the opportunity to bring themselves to notice in matches for, or against, the Warwickshire Club & Ground (C&G). These matches were supervised by Sydney Santall, now the county’s coach, and it is believed that he played a major, if not the major, part in the selection of the side to play Worcestershire. 45 The full team was announced on 31 July as follows; the total number of first-class matches in which they had each already played, and the number already played in 1919, are in brackets: W.H.Harris (captain and wicket-keeper, 11 first-class matches in all, 4 in 1919), H.Venn (0, 0), J.A.Smart (0, 0), R.H.M.Burton (0, 0), C.A.F.Hastilow (1, 1), E.P.Hewetson (0, 0), F.R.Santall (0, 0), V.V.Luckin (18, 8), H.L.Benjamin (1, 1), E.Suckling (1, 1) and A.L.Howell (0, 0). On the same date the Birmingham Mail described the new selections as follows: “There will be included in the eleven several young cricketers who have been doing remarkably well in local games, namely R.H.M.Burton of Rugby Town; C.A.F.Hastilow of Birmingham University; E.P.Hewitson [sic] of Shrewsbury School; F.R. Santall the wonderful secondary school boy, and J.Smart of Chilvers Coton, the son of the former Wiltshire professional, who has the reputation of being a capital batsman. ... [A.L.] Howell is a younger brother of the Warwickshire fast bowler. He has been fulfilling an engagement at Uppingham School, and is reported to be a bowler of considerable promise. H.Venn is a Coventry cricketer who has been playing very well this season.” The same report also noted that “J.F.Stevenson would have played had he been able to make arrangements to do so”. And so passed his chance of doubling his career total of first-class matches. A further word is called for about some of the less familiar names in this side. I have found only limited evidence to confirm whether or not any of them were indeed “doing remarkably well in local games”, but all of them came to the side with some form or reputation behind them. Young Reggie Santall was already well known in local cricket circles for his exceptional feats in school and club cricket. He had scored 84 in a 45 As stated in an article about the Worcestershire match in The Cricket Statistician issue 11 (Autumn 1975), pp 19-21. Warwickshire in 1919