Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

Ted McDonald and Armstrong picked up five cheap wickets apiece as the England XI was bundled out for a humiliating 43 in only 20.1 overs. 36 Even worse was the news that Brearley had pulled a muscle and would be unable to bowl. How on earth would MacLaren fare, defending 43 with just three bowlers? The truth was that most of those present were too embarrassed to stay and witness the old man’s discomfort. Nearly all the public and all the press, except Neville Cardus (who hero-worshipped MacLaren), drifted away. It was now that MacLaren, who in his days as a Test captain was often a poor player-motivator, reacted superbly to adversity. Striding proudly onto the field of play at the head of his team, he made it clear that he was confident of eventual victory. At first things went even more awry as Gibson was not on-song and the Australians reached 80 for one. Having no alternative, MacLaren brought on Faulkner whose leg-breaks snaffled a couple of wickets. As if galvanised, Michael Falcon, who had been keeping up a barrage of hostile bowling, ran through the middle-order and tail-end, dismissing the Australians for just 174. According to The Times , Falcon was bowling faster than ever and Cardus in the Manchester Guardian described him as ‘far better than our Test-match bowling’ and ‘an immense improvement on J.W.H.T.Douglas’. Falcon finished with figures of six for 67, being ably supported by Faulkner’s four for 50. The situation had improved somewhat but, not long into the next day, MacLaren’s team were 60 for four and still on the road to defeat. At this point, Hubert Ashton was joined by Aubrey Faulkner and the fightback initiated by the bowling was taken up by the batting. Runs came freely and 154 was put on for the fifth wicket, until Ashton fell lbw to Armstrong for 75. Faulkner carried on to make 153 and the final total was 326. Falcon resisted gamely with the bat and helped Faulkner put on 51 for the eighth wicket. Falcon and Gibson then resumed the attack, defending a target of 195. This time both bowlers were accurate and hostile and, with the help of the fielding from the Cambridge contingent, the Australians were made to fight for every run. Wickets began to fall and The Times stated ‘The turning point of the game came when Mr Macartney was bowled by Mr. Falcon.’ Macartney, nicknamed the ‘Governor-General’ because he liked to dominate the bowling, At His Peak: 1919-1929 63 36 Falcon’s innings escaped Cardus’ general condemnation of the batting in the Manchester Guardian which thought that he was ‘the one man in the English side who managed a sound defence’.