Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

In his absence, Norfolk struggled through the Challenge Match against Glamorgan, winning on the first-innings in a rain-affected match. Thanks to an innings of 74 by Reginald Popham, Norfolk accumulated a total of 244 and Glamorgan were limited to a mere 168 by the bowling of Roderick Falconer and Eric Fulcher, both of who took five wickets. In the little time remaining Norfolk collapsed ignominiously to the bowling of Harry Creber (eight for 33) and were dismissed for a humiliating 61 runs. The award of the Championship to Norfolk, on the strength of their first-innings lead, was thus somewhat tarnished. This unsatisfactory situation led the Minor Counties Association to alter its rules so that a first-innings lead did not constitute a result in such games: under the new ruling an outright win would be required. Norfolk and Glamorgan had both finished with a percentage of 72.50; as joint table-toppers they would presumably have shared the title under the new ruling. In the first-class arena, Falcon took five for 55 for Lionel Robinson’s XI against Cambridge University and then starred for the Gentlemen at The Oval. Batting at number eleven – a ludicrous position given his record to date – he helped Gilbert Jessop add 58 for the last wicket after the Gentlemen had collapsed to 81 for nine. Then he took six for 58, with the last five wickets falling in 20 balls, to help dismiss the Players for 131, thereby allowing his side to achieve a draw. The Daily Telegraph described his bowling as ‘magnificent’ and ‘superb’ and praised his attractive action. 1914 Norfolk had high hopes as the 1914 season started, but results were not as good as in the previous two years and only two of the first seven games were won. However, the side remained unbeaten until Falcon was called away, being ‘engaged in national service’, and forced to miss the last game of the season against Cambridgeshire. In his absence, Norfolk went down to defeat. Even Taking Over the Reins at Norfolk: 1911-1914 35 The ball with which Falcon took six for 58 in the Players’ first innings at The Oval in 1913.