Double Headers

55 of the batsmen getting some sort of a start “there seemed for the greater part of the afternoon a possibility of the game being saved”. But too many batsmen were getting out without making a significant score. Meanwhile George Beet was rooted to the crease: his 50 took two hours as he made virtually a lone attempt to keep alive Derbyshire’s hopes of avoiding defeat. He was finally lbw at 136-7, with 34 runs still needed to make Warwickshire bat again. John Corbett and Jim Horsley added 27 for the ninth wicket in 40 minutes. By the fall of the ninth wicket at 164, time was no longer a serious issue. Unless Horsley and the genuine number 11 Bestwick were able, improbably, to manufacture a seriously long and productive last wicket partnership, there was always going to be time for Warwickshire to knock off the modest number of runs they would need – if indeed they were required to bat a second time at all. So six runs were still needed to make Warwickshire bat again when the last Derbyshire pair came together. Let the Birmingham Post describe the concluding stages of the game: “Before a run was added, Rotherham had the mortification of failing to hold a sharp chance in the slips offered by Horsley, and the ball sped past him for a couple of runs. Bestwick managed to subscribe to a single, and then a four to Horsley gave Derbyshire the advantage of one run for which they had fought so strenuously. Without addition Bestwick skied to cover point, Warwickshire thus needing two to win. Without delay Bates and Smith went to the crease, and Oliver tossed up a ball which Bates hit to leg for four, and the game was over.” Warwickshire thus recorded their first win of the season, taking 20 wickets in not too much more than a single (long) day’s play – although none of the match reports that I have seen give any particular credit to their bowlers, not even Harry Howell with his match figures of 9-107. ’Twas ever thus. Unfortunately the Warwickshire side at Edgbaston was unable to make it two wins on the same day. In truth, barring an unexpected and sudden improvement in the bowling of one side or the other, there was never any realistic prospect of a result over the two days, and the game with Worcestershire eventually petered out as an aimless draw. The star of Day 2 at Edgbaston was undoubtedly Harry Venn. Playing his first first-class innings, he started the day on 78 and was missed in the slips early on, but then did not give another chance until he was in three figures. After spending ten minutes on 99, he eventually reached his century after 2¾ hours with a hit over cover for three off Hunt ( Evening Despatch ). He was then twice missed by Turner off difficult chances at mid-off, at 107 and 109 51 , before finally falling for 151 made in five minutes under four hours’ batting. He hit 18 fours, his most prolific stroke being a square cut which took the ball to the boundary “with great speed”. 51 This is as reported in the Birmingham Post . The Birmingham Gazette says that his only chance was a hard hit to mid off when he was 130. Warwickshire in 1919