Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

block, a development which was largely funded by a donation from Kathleen Falcon, it was named Mary Falcon House in memory of the Falcons’ late daughter. Michael Gascoigne Falcon was involved in the running of the facility as a member of the management committee until 2009 when the home was finally closed and the 28 people then in residence were rehoused. Bill Edrich Now that Bill Edrich has stepped into the story, this may be an appropriate point to recount some of the details of his early association with Michael Falcon. It was in the early thirties that Bill Edrich burst upon the Norfolk cricket scene with his performances for Bracondale School, a small private school located in Norwich which has since closed down. Michael Falcon and county coach, Jack Nichols, took note and arranged that young Bill, at 15 young enough to qualify for the Junior Colts, should turn out for the Senior Colts instead in the annual trial match. He duly made runs and took wickets. Falcon, who was captain of Norfolk’s premier club, Norwich Wanderers, offered Bill a few games. Bill was eternally grateful for the encouragement and the coaching he received from the county captain as will be described below in Chapter Ten and was rewarded for some fine performances by being selected to make his debut for Norfolk in early June 1932 as a 16-year-old schoolboy against All India. The Indians batted first and were shot out for just 101 as Norfolk’s bowlers excelled themselves, but then Norfolk went down before the pace attack of Mohammad Nissar, reaching just 49, of which Bill Edrich top-scored with a highly creditable 20. Following this success, Bill was drafted into Norfolk’s Minor Counties Championship side but he made an inauspicious start against Leicestershire II: he was clean bowled in both innings without scoring and collected a ‘pair’. Michael Falcon kept faith with the youngster through a lean spell until, in the last match of the season, against the Championship winners Buckinghamshire, Bill top-scored in both innings with 50 and 23. A batting average of 15 barely hinted at what was to come for Edrich. Bill improved rapidly in the next couple of seasons, receiving his county colours at the age of just 17. He was part of the side which pushed so hard for the Minor Counties Championship in 1933. Edrich recounted how Michael Falcon, deprived by the flooding in Elder Statesman: 1930-1939 98