Famous Cricketers No 82 - H.E. 'Tom' Dollery

that no other batsman could reach fifty he inspired them all to stay long enough with him to avoid defeat amidst “intense excitement”, according to Wisden . After thrashing Somerset by an innings at Wells, where he ironically made a “duck”, the crowds once again streamed into Edgbaston for the crunch match against nearest rivals Yorkshire, breaking the attendance record set the week before. The White Rose county were weakened by Test match calls, Len Hutton being particularly missed, but they had all their front line bowlers available and they had first use of a pitch that wore quickly. Dollery set containing fields and his bowlers backed him up well as Yorkshire struggled to a modest 249. In reply Spooner and Ord added 134 for the second wicket before he came in and took complete command to score 111 in just two and three-quarters of an hour with only the one chance when he had scored 89. The big lead demoralised the Tykes as they succumbed to the spin of Hollies and Weeks, Warwickshire winning by an innings, more or less wrapping up the Championship in the process. Typically the skipper had led from the front and reserved his best form for the vital stage of the campaign to see his team home. Dollery nearly added another tourist scalp to his collection as the South Africans were given a major fright before escaping with a draw at Edgbaston. Warwickshire were put in, but half centuries from the skipper and Don Taylor ensured a reasonable total. The tourists were shot out for only 77 however, Charlie Grove doing most of the damage as he had the year before against the West Indians. Dollery declared his second innings closed leaving the South Africans 335 to win in four hours fifty minutes on an improving pitch, a fair target. Grove got a couple of quick wickets, but the county had rested Pritchard and Hollies from the match to save them for the Championship push, (a thing almost unheard of in those days), and they were made to regret it as the tourists hung on for the draw with six wickets down and still 65 short of the target. The Championship was secured after the two day defeat of Northamptonshire at Coventry in mid August, as next day old rivals Worcestershire beat Yorkshire, who collapsed spectacularly on the last afternoon at Scarborough. The skipper celebrated with another century in his last home game of the season against Hampshire. The Championship title meant a great deal to Warwickshire; it became the springboard for renewed interest in the game in the Birmingham area, predominantly a soccer city, and the eventual ground improvements that led to the return of Test matches to Edgbaston in 1957. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct St Total Total 287. Warwickshire v Sussex, Edgbaston, May 5, 7, 8 (Warwickshire won by eight wickets) * b A.E.James 71 266 158 2 did not bat - 149-2 256 1 288. Warwickshire v Glamorgan, Swansea, May 9, 10, 11 (Match drawn) * c W.G.A.Parkhouse b D.J.Shepherd 3 146 137 1 b D.E.Davies 10 145 22-0 289. Warwickshire v Derbyshire, Edgbaston, May 12, 14, 15 (Match drawn) * run out 70 276 313 1 b D.C.Morgan 41 157-9 136 290. Warwickshire v Yorkshire, Huddersfield, May 23, 24, 25 (Warwickshire won by 86 runs) * b F.S.Trueman 18 171 128 2 c R.Appleyard b F.S.Trueman 0 92 49 291. Warwickshire v Worcestershire, Edgbaston, May 26, 28, 29 (Warwickshire won by 107 runs) * c H.Yarnold b R.E.S.Wyatt 2 389-8d 250 1 c E.Cooper b R.Howorth 9 135-7d 167 292. Warwickshire v Middlesex, Lord’s, May 30, 31, June 1 (Warwickshire won by three wickets) * c D.Bennett b A.E.Moss 2 185 335-8d not out 40 345-7 192 43