Whitsun match of 1928 was scheduled for Aylestone Road. Leicestershire gained a lead of eight before Astill destroyed Northamptonshire’s second innings. Wickets fell regularly against Thomas and Clark but Berry and Shipman steadied matters and Leicestershire got home by two wickets. Relative parity was soon to end. Between 1930 and 1939, Northamptonshire played 250 Championship matches, losing 138 and winning just 18. Famously, between 14 May 1935 and 29 May 1939, they failed to win a solitary match – 99 Championship games without a single victory. They were bottom in the table seven years out of ten, 16th in two of the others (1932 and 1939) and 13th in 1933, when they won five matches. And yet bottom place in 1930 and 1931 was not reflected in the holiday fixtures, although Leicestershire won comfortably enough at Aylestone Road in the first of these summers at Whitsuntide. Geary was the catalyst with figures of 30-11-35-6 and 31-13-43-6, taking full advantage of a drying pitch, and then in a return ruined by the weather, 27.1-11-35-6. In both games he fought a rare duel with Bakewell, who was one of the most exciting batsmen of his generation. Comparisons were made with Bradman and Trumper and at one time he was felt to be Jack Hobbs’s natural successor. A glorious strokeplayer and a fine fieldsman at short leg, Bakewell appeared in eight Tests and could have been on the verge of an Ashes tour down under when his career was ended at 27 by a car accident in 1936 which left himwith a badly broken right arm. Some described Bakewell as being his own worst enemy but his former captain WC Brown paid eloquent tribute: “During an all-too-short first-class career his approach to life in general may have seemed somewhat lackadaisical. Out in the middle, though, he was a splendid chap to have on the side.” Needless to say he was among the runs in the 1931 match at Leicester, with 84 in the face of some fine bowling from Astill, although he was overshadowed by Berry’s 156. Both of the 1931 matches ended in draws but Leicestershire completely outclassed their neighbours in 1932 with two victories by an innings. At Leicester they closed Whit Saturday on 375 for six and took their total to 438 on Monday, Armstrong remaining undefeated with 152. Northamptonshire then collapsed against Geary and Astill and they must have been heartily sick of the sight of them by now. Geary was 38, Astill 44 and they would continue for several more seasons yet; due notice being served in the August return at the County Ground which resulted in another innings defeat. Geary took seven for 60 in 36.5 overs and followed this with four for 37. Jupp battled away for a hundred but Astill’s six wicket bag in the second innings completed the rout. Then, in 1933, the sun broke through, albeit briefly. In the scorching heat of Whitsuntide, Northamptonshire crushed their rivals by nine wickets at the County Ground. With Larwood injured, Clark was the fastest bowler in the country that year, and he wrecked Leicestershire’s first innings on Saturday, taking seven for 36 in a total of 141. Only Dawson (75) offered any resistance. Timms consolidated Northamptonshire’s position with 113, Jupp made 59 and the lead was 166. By the close on Whit Monday, Leicestershire were 170 for six and although Armstrong made 61, Reg Partridge and Clark each took four wickets and Bakewell then played an enterprising little cameo as Northamptonshire quickly scored the 48 required for victory. Then for a time over the August Bank Holiday, in more hot weather (temperatures reached 93F on Sunday), Northamptonshire looked set to repeat this achievement. On Saturday Bakewell gave a superb display, hitting three sixes and 22 fours before being last out for 192. Only two other batsmen reached double figures in a total of 299. After building on a first innings lead of 130, Jupp, who had taken four for 36, Woolly Backs and Cobblers 103