Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

similarly viewed in hindsight. As for the chief architect of victory, Faulkner, he already had sufficient on his curriculum vitae to make this just another achievement, albeit a highly significant one. Rumour has it that the Australians had a lucky mascot which resided in their dressing rooms all through the tour but which was mysteriously absent during this defeat and the subsequent, second reverse. This may be a bit of a myth but it is certain that the tourists treated this match seriously and that the defeated captain’s comments on his reverse were unprintable. 1922 If the 1920 season was the highlight of Michael Falcon’s career as an all-rounder in Minor Counties circles when viewed in terms of averages, then the 1922 season, by virtue of being the longest in which he played, was the pinnacle when examined using aggregates as a benchmark. Appearing in all fourteen Norfolk matches, he scored no fewer than 728 runs and took 72 wickets. He averaged nearly 35 with the bat and was part of a highly effective bowling attack in which five bowlers took 27 or more wickets each, all at an average of less than 16. Walter Beadsmoore was the most economical, his 40 victims costing a mere 10.40 each. Falcon also took twelve catches, his highest bag for a season. Michael Falcon scored steadily throughout the season, the highlight being his century, an innings of 113, which helped Norfolk to a four-wicket win over old rivals Staffordshire who would soon be replaced by Buckinghamshire as the ‘needle’ opponents in the Championship. The innings took just over two hours and was, like most of his big innings, characterised by its superb driving. He could hook too, as he showed in an innings of 95 in just under two hours against Hertfordshire. His bowling successes were spread through the season and enthusiastic quotes from the Eastern Daily Press seem to indicate that he was at his fiercest and best: ‘ … and Falcon at his best is an England bowler’; ‘Falcon quickly got rid of him … with a terrific delivery, knocking his stumps clean out of the ground’; ‘Falcon bowled very fast’; ‘the Norfolk captain bowling at a tremendous pace’; and ‘with a breeze behind him, Falcon bowled at a great pace’. With all the bowlers firing and the batting being at least competent, the Norfolk side had an excellent season, winning eight matches outright and taking first-innings points in the other four. At His Peak: 1919-1929 65