Nottinghamshire were runners up again in 1928 but suffered embarrassment against Surrey at Trent Bridge. George Gunn made 122 but the batting failed until Arthur Staples and Fred Barratt came together at 238 for seven. Barratt hit 96 in 85 minutes, including a six which bounced on the top step leading to the pavilion. Staples made 94, the pair adding 167 for the eighth wicket and the total reaching 457. Hobbs made 122 but Nottinghamshire had a lead of 169. Carr then made a crucial error in deciding against enforcing the follow on. In poor light Nottinghamshire lost four wickets for 15 in 30 minutes before the close of Whit Monday’s play and they were all out for 50 against Fender and Peach. Carr did his best with 22 and Larwood removed Hobbs with his second ball before a run had been scored but Sandham batted sensibly and Surrey won by seven wickets. When Nottinghamshire won the Championship in 1929 the pace of Fred Barratt and Larwood was reinforced by the burly figure of Bill Voce, with his mixture of left-arm swing and spin, and the Staples brothers Sam and Arthur. The batting was sound: Whysall, George Gunn, Walker, Carr and Payton, although their average age was 42. Lancashire and Yorkshire were Nottinghamshire’s chief rivals but Surrey were now confined to the lower half of the table. Nottinghamshire won the Whitsun game but there was a high scoring draw at The Oval. Whysall and Carr made hundreds in a total of 409 and at the Monday’s close Surrey were 411 for six, with Sandham and Tom Shepherd passing three figures. Rain on the final day made it all academic. When the duel was resumed at Trent Bridge in 1930, Larwood removed Hobbs for five but Andrew Ducat (218) and Sandham (152) shared a huge stand as Surrey piled up 501, the match being drawn. As far as the Championship was concerned there was nothing significant about the 1931 matches but Nottinghamshire won a particularly fine game by nine wickets at The Oval. Surrey gained a first innings lead of 64 before Larwood and Voce routed them for 82 in their second innings, Hobbs getting 43 of these before he was bowled by Larwood. By 1932 Carr possessed the most lethal pair of fast bowlers in the country. It was a combination made all the more potent by their contrasting styles, high pace from Larwood and left arm in-swing which could be extremely nasty, from Voce. It was not lost on Jardine, the new Surrey and England captain but it was Nottinghamshire who were on the receiving end in the Whitsun game. In poor light George Gunn and Walter Keeton opened the innings after Surrey had been dismissed or 108. The first ball appeared to slip out of Gover’s hand and hit the 53-year-old Gunn full pitch on the right side of his face, just against the eye, as he tried to turn the ball to leg. The ball rebounded onto the wicket. Gunn staggered away and after being laid on the grass he was attended by a doctor and taken to hospital with severe concussion. He was allowed home and told to rest for a few days. Effectively his career was over and Charlie Harris took his place as Keeton’s partner. It was an association which lasted until 1949 and produced 45 three-figure opening stands – Harris the anchor man and Keeton providing the flourish. The match was drawn, George’s son George Vernon Gunn making an unbeaten 89. By the time of the August game most of the team to tour Australia had been announced. Larwood and Voce were included and England’s hope of limiting Bradman’s phenomenal run scoring was obviously being placed in fast bowling. Jardine had first been impressed by Larwood on August Bank Holiday Monday in 1925 when 34,000 people packed The Oval. Percy Fender was aware of Larwood’s pace and Jardine asked him: “Is this chap as fast as they say he is?” Hatching Bodyline 77