Lives in Cricket No 15 - Michael Falcon

which was then a record for a three-day first-class fixture in England. Falcon shared his unimpressive match figures – two for 107 off 17 overs – with most other bowlers in the game. The 1927 season was the setting for Michael Falcon’s last hurrah for the Gentlemen. Playing at The Oval, he was the fifth bowler to be called on and returned figures of four for 60, highly creditable given that the Players declared at 424 for nine. The Gentlemen had to follow on and, in the second innings, Falcon and his deadly Buckinghamshire rival, Walter Franklin, combined to add an unbeaten 29 for the ninth wicket, so holding out for a draw. 47 1928 Norfolk started their campaign in 1928 against the West Indians at Lakenham. Although Falcon took but one wicket in his twenty overs, he conceded only 27 runs and, at forty years of age, showed he was still capable of bowling at pace. The Times stated: ‘Falcon bowled one over to Browne which made one understand why he is a pace bowler the Australians dislike. Every ball beat the batsman by that pace off the pitch which, whatever the fashion of swing and swerve may be, remains the one infallible sign of a good bowler.’ The county’s performance in the Minor Counties Championship continued to improve, with three wins and only one defeat. Following on his good showing against the tourists, Falcon bowled splendidly and took 43 wickets at just over 15 apiece. His best performances were against Buckinghamshire: he took seven for 82 (including a hat-trick) at Ascott Park, near Wing, and 13 wickets in the last match of the season at Lakenham, being largely responsible for a rare victory against Walter Franklin’s men. He topped the side’s batting averages, making the only two centuries scored by Norfolk all summer, against Surrey II and Buckinghamshire (at Ascott Park), and scoring nearly 200 runs more than the second most prolific bat, Rodney Rought-Rought. Facing a Surrey II score of 416, Falcon put on 213 for the third wicket with Harry Low, making his usual quota of powerful drives. As well as his performance at Ascott Park, another all-round display of note took place at Lakenham against Leicestershire II when he scored 98 and took six for 28. 80 At His Peak: 1919-1929 47 Falcon and Franklin held out for the last 30, 35 or 45 minutes: the broadsheets all give different durations!