Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

Counties’ standards, of 20.39 runs apiece. Michael Falcon played in nine games, but a strain prevented him bowling in all these matches and his final return of 22 wickets was at 22.33 runs each. This was to be his most expensive season for Norfolk with the ball until 1929, when age was beginning to reduce his effectiveness: it was of note that his first-class bowling average for 1911 was lower than his Minor Counties bowling average. The strain was a collector’s item: in a career of such a length as his, Falcon kept remarkably fit and free from injury. In contrast to his poor performance with the ball for Norfolk, Michael Falcon did exceptionally well with the bat, scoring 631 runs with two centuries and four other scores above fifty. He made runs all round the ground but the feature of his batting was, as usual, his powerful driving on each side of the wicket. His achievement was, however, put in the shade by the batting of Geoffrey Stevens who made no fewer than 908 runs. 11 Michael Falcon also found time to participate in an MCC tour to Norfolk, in which he showed that, at levels below the very highest, he was an extremely potent pace bowler indeed. Against Mid-Norfolk at East Dereham, he started with a devastating spell of five overs and one ball in which he took seven wickets for three runs (including a hat-trick) and was largely responsible for the locals’ dismissal for a mere 11 runs. Although meeting stiffer resistance from a strong Overstrand team and from XII of Yarmouth and District, he still managed to add another 13 wickets to his bag, bowling all eight of his victims against Yarmouth. It was truly a case of a man against boys. 1912 The 1912 season promised much for Michael Falcon, before ending in a series of deluges which left Norfolk underwater and brought a soggy end to local cricket. This was the year of the triangular Test tournament which gave Falcon the chance to have his first crack as a bowler at both the Australians and the South Africans. However, 28 Taking Over the Reins at Norfolk: 1911-1914 11 Geoffrey Stevens was one of Norfolk’s all-time great batsmen. Like Falcon, he made his debut in 1906 (and like Falcon he started with a duck) and went on to score over 8,000 runs at an average of over 32 before retiring in 1930. He made two Championship double centuries and took 137 catches, mostly at first slip – where he was originally stationed in desperation, having proved inept in all other positions. Although he played but three first-class games with little success, David Armstrong’s Short History of Norfolk County Cricket speaks of ‘Test Trial claims’ being made on his behalf, apparently by E.H.D.Sewell.