Chapter Twenty-Eight Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Others In the old days, the County Ground at Derby boasted a concrete stand to the right of the pavilion, with a bar and seats for 300 people. Next to it was a smaller wooden structure. Both were open to the elements and neither was particularly impressive but they offered raised views from behind the wicket. The stands were magnets for youngsters during the school holidays and also attracted visiting supporters. It was here, on Whit Monday 1950, that a group from the Birmingham area applauded the Warwickshire team after Derbyshire had been dismissed for 190. Rain had curtailed play on Saturday but the New Zealand-born fast bowler Tom Pritchard took six for 78 as the local urchins in the stands fell silent. Warwickshire had made a fine start to the summer; indeed, by the third week in June they were to head the table. It didn’t look good for the home team, who were without the injured Cliff Gladwin, a tall young amateur, Tom Hall, sharing the new ball with Les Jackson. No matter. Jackson sent back Fred Gardner and Alan Townsend and Dick Spooner was bowled by Hall. Warwickshire had lost three wickets for one run and all before lunch. There was much to ponder during the consumption of the egg sandwiches and lemonade. Warwickshire’s captain Tom Dollery had just come in and everybody knew that Dollery always made runs against Derbyshire. He had done so before the war and in the first season afterwards, 1946, he got a hundred at Edgbaston, although Derbyshire won. It was even worse in 1948; 167 at Derby, defying Bill Copson who took seven wickets and then a Whit Monday gate of 8,600 had to endure more good bowling from Pritchard and Eric Hollies en route to a Warwickshire victory. Dollery ‘failed’ at Edgbaston in August with 90 – his side had the best of a rain-affected draw when Derbyshire were leading the Championship - but he delighted the Birmingham crowd at Whitsun in 1949 with another century. In the second innings, when Warwickshire were set 207 to win, Jackson had him caught behind by George Dawkes for four, but Jimmy Ord stayed nearly four hours for 75 and made the winning hit with one wicket remaining. Rain affected the Derby return in August, Dollery making 59 in a total of 359. Thus, under the alternating system of the fixtures, Dollery was back at the County Ground in 1950 for Whit. And after lunch it was a different game. Hall accounted for Martin Donnelly and bowled Derief Taylor but Dollery launched a magnificent assault on the bowlers, Jackson, Hall, Derek Morgan and Bert Rhodes being put to the sword in turn. He hit three sixes and 12 hours in two hours 55 minutes and each stroke, particularly on the offside, was greeted with Brummie cries of ‘Good old Tom’ from the away contingent. When Morgan had him caught for 163 he had placed his side in an unassailable position, declaring at 300 with a lead of 110. All this after being one for three! It was a long journey home for the Derbyshire youngsters. The match was drawn and Jackson and Gladwin shared 18 of the 20 wickets at Edgbaston in August, when Derbyshire 148