1921 – and he skippered Hampshire to their 155-run victory at Edgbaston after they had been dismissed for 15 in their first innings in June 1922. Livsey was his valet, laying out his clothes, running his bath and, occasionally, lending him money for pavilion card games. Hampshire were never higher than sixth in the Championship, usually ending just below mid-table, but they were popular opponents for most counties. Canterbury might have been the epitome of festival cricket but the games lacked for nothing in intensity. Such matches were a popular choice for benefits – Woolley had his in the 1922 Hampshire fixture (£2,550) and Freeman’s (£2,381) was held in 1929 when Gloucestershire were the visitors – but it was that of James Seymour’s in 1920 which made history. Kent won at Southampton, where Woolley made 158 and they repeated the feat at Canterbury, Seymour making 74 in the second innings. Although he scored more than 27,000 runs in first-class cricket it was the litigation subsequent to his benefit which was of greater value to the professional side of the game. Seymour received a demand for income tax on the gate money which was included in his benefit receipts. He appealed to the Income Tax Commissioners, who found in his favour. The Crown then took the case to the High Court, which upheld the Commissioners’ decision. Not satisfied with this, the Crown turned to the Court of Appeal and was successful. Seymour’s final victory came in the House of Lords, which established the right of the cricket benefit, unless guaranteed by contract, to be free of tax. Seymour was backed by Kent throughout the proceedings. The County Ground at Southampton enjoyed record attendances at Whitsun when Hampshire won in 1921 but cricket was soon put in perspective. Tennyson made 98 with two sixes and 12 fours in 105 minutes and Fry 96 but this was overshadowed by events at lunch on the first day. Each side included one of the Cornwallis brothers, Oswald, a Royal Naval lieutenant who was making his Hampshire debut and Wykeham, an Army officer who opened the bowling for Kent. They received news that their older brother, Fiennes, an Army captain, had been murdered by the IRA while leaving a country-house tennis party in Northern Ireland. Tennyson and the Kent captain Lionel Troughton promptly allowed the brothers to leave the match. More big crowds saw some fine cricket the following season. There was little in it at Whitsun after the first innings but Woolley made 188 and Hardinge 139 in Kent’s second attempt, leaving Hampshire a target of 444. Led by Mead (152) they made a brave attempt after five wickets had fallen for 135. Mead and the rugby international Harold Day (91) added 219 to carry the score to 354 for five but the last five wickets went down for 38. Mead made another hundred at Canterbury, where the new Saturday start was held to be “not to the advantage of Canterbury Week but it was impossible to go back to the old system.” This notwithstanding, there were few causes for complaint when Kent won the 1923 match. The highlight was an innings of 236 by the left-handed Jack Bryan. He drove one ball into the pavilion, where it became so heavily embedded in the glass of the picture of the 1877 Canterbury Week that a new ball had to be obtained. The actual ball, still bearing its scars of embedded glass, was suitably mounted and presented to the club. Such was Kent’s dominance that they won four consecutive matches by an innings but Hampshire turned the tables with a seven wicket victory at The Record Holders 87