Famous Cricketers No 91 - J.C.Laker

list of remarkable analyses. The Surrey County report for 1950 stated that he never achieved such deadliness for Surrey which must have been written somewhat tongue in cheek as figures of ten for 98 against Gloucestershire, twelve for 86 in the return match against them, eleven for 97 against Worcestershire and ten for 89 against Essex must have seemed deadly enough to these opponents. In July he took fifty-five wickets. He finished easily top of the Surrey averages taking 142 wickets at 14.54 and helping Surrey to share joint-top place in the Championship with Lancashire. He played in only one Test this year against the touring West Indians taking just one wicket for 86 in the first Test at Old Trafford. Thereafter he was not selected again which may have helped the left-handed West Indian opener, A.F.Rae, to reel off successive first innings scores of 106, 68 and 109 in the remaining Tests. As a batsman, Laker scored 589 runs in all matches at an average of 16.36 and he held twenty-two catches. He failed to gain selection for the MCC tour of Australia in the winter of 1950/51. The off-spinner chosen was D.B.Close who had taken just twenty wickets that season at 19.30. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 87. Surrey v Glamorgan, Kennington Oval, April (29), May 1, 2 (Match drawn) b N.G.Hever 0 192 22 8 43 3 D.E.Davies c M.R.Barton 145 A.J.Watkins c J.F.Parker M.Robinson b 88. Surrey v MCC, Lord’s, May 3, 4, 5 (Surrey won by 128 runs) c M.J.Hilton b R.W.Clarke 2 254 19 5 51 3 W.J.Edrich b 157 1 W.G.A.Parkhouse c and b F.J.Titmus b not out 3 288-6d 21 4 38 3 W.J.Edrich b 257 1 W.G.A.Parkhouse c W.S.Surridge F.R.Brown c J.W.J.McMahon 89. Surrey v Northamptonshire, Peterborough, May 6, (8), (9) (Match drawn) - - - - 49-2 90. Surrey v Derbyshire, Kennington Oval, May 10, 11, 12 (Surrey won by four wickets) b H.L.Jackson 9 341 26 12 57 5 C.S.Elliott b 147 1 J.M.Kelly b A.Hamer b A.C.Revill lbw C.Gladwin b c T.A.Hall b C.Gladwin 6 116-6 21 11 23 0 309 91. Surrey v West Indians, Kennington Oval, May 13, 15, 16 (Match drawn) c J.D.C.Goddard b A.L.Valentine 18 193 36 11 83 2 A.F.Rae c and b 537-5d 1 F.M.M.Worrell c W.S.Surridge lbw b G.E.Gomez 23 391 - - - - 14-1 92. Surrey v Somerset, Wells, May 17, 18, 19 (Surrey won by nine wickets) b J.Lawrence 26 310 27.5 9 46 3 H.Gimblett b 214 1 E.Hill lbw J.Lawrence lbw did not bat - 74-1 18 7 24 4 A.F.Irish b 169 M.F.Tremlett lbw J.Lawrence b H.W.Stephenson c L.B.Fishlock 93. Surrey v Essex, Kennington Oval, May 20, 22, 23 (Essex won by 17 runs) c T.E.Bailey b R.Smith 3 181 32 5 70 2 R.Horsfall c A.V.Bedser 232 R.Smith c A.V.Bedser c A.V.Avery b T.P.B.Smith 0 142 19.3 4 34 4 A.V.Avery b 108 1 F.H.Vigar c A.V.Bedser T.N.Pearce lbw I.J.Skinner c J.F.Parker 94. Surrey v Leicestershire, Leicester, May 24, 25, 26 (Match drawn) c C.H.Palmer b J.E.Walsh 53 206 28.3 13 55 6 M.Tompkin c J.W.J.McMahon 243 2 V.E.Jackson b T.A.Chapman c and b J.E.Walsh c B.Constable P.Corrall c and b J.Sperry st A.J.W.McIntyre 17