Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

Foreword by David Armstrong It gives me particular pleasure to write a foreword to Stephen Musk’s account of the cricketing and many other facets of Michael Falcon’s life, for I owe a huge debt of gratitude to a very great gentleman whose idea it was, over 43 years ago, to ask me to become Honorary Secretary of Norfolk County Cricket Club. His call set the course of my life through to retirement and, indeed, beyond. If I may go back a few years further, I would nominate 1955 as a year of outstanding importance in my life. It was, sadly, the year my father died and (World Wars apart) the first cricket season since 1893 in which he had not been a part of Norfolk’s cricketing following. This was particularly disappointing in that, after a succession of post-war seasons of false dawns, watching Norfolk had at last seen expectation overtake hope. This was also, as Stephen reports, the year in which was held a match at Lakenham for Geoff Edrich’s Benefit, and this, in its turn, provided my first and only opportunity of watching Michael Falcon in action on the cricket field. Stephen gives the bare details of an economical spell of eight or so overs (delivered at a brisk medium pace) and of an undefeated innings of 37. I recall also a well-taken catch, above his head in the covers, which caused no trouble at all for that particular 67-year-old fielder. Stephen gently chides me for conferring on Bill Edrich, who dominated the day’s proceedings, ‘legendary’ status. No slight was intended on my part, for to me Michael Falcon was more than a legend; but to my regret, he was a figure whose feats I could enjoy only vicariously. Some years ago, I was telephoned by a well-known Minor County batsman – not a Norfolk man – to ask if he had overtaken Michael Falcon’s batting aggregate. Answering that he had indeed achieved this target, I suggested that he now made a start on the 727 wickets! To deal merely with statistics is to omit the quality of loyalty which, these days, is such a rarity both on the field of play and in committee rooms. Players and administrators alike seem 5