Operations on his knee meant that he was never as fluent after 1949 as he had been previously but he still headed the county’s batting averages in his final season. In the Whit match at Lord’s he was overshadowed by Robertson and Bob Gale, who both got hundreds in an opening partnership of 209, and Don Smith who hit 149 for Sussex. But he was seen at his best in the Hove game. First he took five for 40 as Sussex were dismissed for 243. He made only 16 as Middlesex trailed by 65, Robin Marlar’s off breaks bringing about a collapse. Sussex were in a strong position as Smith and Suttle added 94 but again Compton, five for 71 and match figures of 10-111, bowled his side back into the game. They needed 266 but only Compton (44) showed much enterprise and they went down by 99 runs. Parks said: “I think the saddest thing for me was Denis’s final season in 1957. In the first innings at Hove I caught him at cover off Ted James. I’ve never been so sad at catching anybody out. He was such a lovely man. During the whole of my career the Middlesex and Sussex teams got on extremely well. I remember coming in as a young player and Leslie Compton, who was keeping wicket, saying ‘good luck son.’ There was keen competition but the matches were always played in a sporting manner.” Compton played in 30 matches for Middlesex against Sussex, scoring 2,032 runs at an average of 53.47 with seven hundreds. Edrich was not far behind; 31 matches, 1,967 runs, average 47.97 and five centuries. By the end of the 1950s, the great days seemed to have passed as both Middlesex and Sussex had the look of teams from which the glory had gone. But a new generation of Middlesex batsmen led by Peter Parfitt and Eric Russell emerged and Ted Dexter was coming to prominence for Sussex. At Lord’s during the 1959 Whitsun, Russell played well for 52 and 32 and was awarded his cap during the course of the match. Middlesex gained a lead of 90 after Sussex broke down against the off breaks of Titmus. Parfitt made 60 but Don Bates struck back for Sussex and by the close of Monday’s play – 13,000 attended on a cool day – they had made a useful start in quest of 229. On the final day Sussex, although without their opening batsman Les Lenham, who returned to Brighton with torn ankle ligaments, made good progress. Don Smith got 90 and Dexter, also capped during the game ten months after receiving one for England, 58 and with four wickets down for 209, only 20 were needed. Moss and Warr, with the new ball, then brought about a startling breakdown, although Suttle remained at the crease. The fast bowlers began to tire but when Suttle was joined by his captain Marlar only ten were required. For 25 minutes the runs accrued before Marlar suddenly hit Warr back over his head to the pavilion. One to tie and Suttle to face Moss. Five straight good length balls yielded no run and before the sixth Warr, the Middlesex captain, dropped two men back on the leg side. Moss dug in a short, fast one and Suttle, swatting at the ball as it passed over his head, was caught behind by John Murray. Middlesex had won by one run – having beaten Kent by two runs in their previous game. Four years later, in Titmus’s benefit, Sussex avenged this defeat with a win by a similar margin. Middlesex needed 112 but Oakman, little used as an off spinner by that time, took six for 53, the last three in the extra half-hour and the last with four minutes remaining. Roger Moulton has fond memories of Whitsuntide matches at Lord’s. “In 1957 I saw Jack Robertson reach his century with a four off the last ball before lunch. He then took an hour to make another 18 runs. After the Robertson-Gale opening partnership of 209 the stage was set for Edrich and Compton but Edrich only made 16 and Compton ran himself out for seven. In 1958 at Lord’s 20 wickets Middlesex v Sussex 136