Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

who would likely have kept Michael Falcon out of contention for a Test place. As it was, there was a war, during which Foster’s first-class career was ended by a motor-cycle crash in which he broke both legs, and after which the selectors decided that Barnes was too old for further Test matches. Furthermore, an accomplished fast-medium bowler from Yorkshire, Major Booth, who had played Tests in South Africa, failed to survive the war, as did Percy Jeeves, a highly promising all-rounder who played for Warwickshire and who had impressed ‘Plum’ Warner so much that he had predicted a Test career for the youngster. (Falcon also noted Jeeves’ talent when they were opposed in a Gentlemen v Players fixture at The Oval, being quoted by Rowland Ryder as saying: ‘Hullo, here’s someone!’) The overall effect of the Great War was thus, unexpectedly, to advance Michael Falcon to a position where the selectors could (and should) have given him a chance in 1921, three years ahead of his actual opportunity. The pacemen England selected to play Test cricket over the period at which Falcon was at his peak had a very sorry record: Bill Hitch, Harry Howell and Abe Waddington played 14 Tests between them, taking a pitiful 15 wickets in total at a combined average of an extortionate 66.87 runs apiece. Claims for Michael Falcon can go further than a mere Test place, however: he has a claim to be considered as a potential captain of the Test team. Johnny Douglas, despite winning the 1911/12 Ashes series and being a brave trier, was not much of a captain: he was both a poor man-motivator and a poor tactician who often overbowled himself. Recognising his limitations, the selectors offered the captaincy of the 1920/21 Ashes tour to Reggie Spooner and Douglas was only appointed when the Lancashire amateur had to decline the invitation. As is well known, Douglas lost the series 5-0 and then, when hostilities resumed in England, he started by losing two more Tests against the seemingly unstoppable Australians. The selectors (Spooner, Henry Foster and John Daniell) who did a collective impression of a headless chicken all summer, selecting no fewer than 30 players for the five Tests, correctly deposed Douglas, who was by now irretrievably damaged goods. Here was the chance to do what Archie MacLaren was suggesting: strengthen the pace attack by bringing in Michael Falcon and, what’s more, bring him in as skipper. His captaincy of Norfolk had already attracted favourable notice: ‘Falcon handled his side and 120 A Test Cricketer?