Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

(I.T.Botham achieved 3.95 on the scale.) Again, the higher the value, the more effective the allrounder. I do not pretend this table proves anything, but it has to be said that Frank Foster comes out of things quite well. The leading Warwickshire players, both well behind Foster, were A.F.Giles with 3.73 and T.W.Cartwright with 2.95. Finally, with regard to Foster’s position for Warwicks, it may be of interest that in 2007 an ‘All-Time Eleven’ was selected to celebrate 125 years of the club, chosen by members, from a list drawn up by a panel. Foster, Tom Cartwright and Dermot Reeve were classified as ‘allrounders’ and the panel, in its wisdom, decreed only one allrounder be selected. The members understandably chose the player they remembered best, so two of Warwicks’ greatest were omitted. The whole thing was an embarrassing farce. Despite ‘expert’ views I claim that Frank Foster was the greatest Warwicks cricketer ever. Introduction 10