Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

really well. Buswell now joined Ryan, and only a further single was added before I put everything into a delivery, and what a beauty it was, moving away in the air then straightening. Ryan groped, the off stump was out of the ground, the young lad was bowled, Northamptonshire all out. ‘We are champions!’ I yelled. Among the first to congratulate me was my last victim. ‘Top hole, Mr. Foster, that ball was too good for me,’ he said, as he shook my hand. Ryan had played bravely and well. Sadly this was the pinnacle of his career, his cricket career that is. Four years later Captain Ryan, Military Cross and Mentioned in Despatches, still only 22, fell leading his men at Loos in France. His sportsmanship and friendliness in our victory, and the manner of his death while so young confirmed ‘This was a Man.’ As we walked off, a crowd of about 200, mostly it seemed Warwickshire supporters, surged onto the pitch to greet us. Prominent amongst them was father, who came and hugged me. He was speechless and I am sure I saw tears in his eyes. I mentioned this to him later: ‘Rubbish, Yorkshiremen don’t show their feelings like that.’ When we reached the pavilion we were met by the Northamptonshire secretary Mr A.J.Darnell, replete in silk ‘topper’ who delivered an impromptu speech congratulating us. He remarked that our players had comported themselves so well, and with such dignity he hoped we would be the opposition when Northamptonshire took their first title. Poor Mr Darnell; years later he was still wearing the ‘topper’, still awaiting that title. We had a champagne supper in the pavilion. Someone suggested ‘Mr Foster must make a speech.’ Mr Foster did, but father William, not Frank who by this time was ‘sleeping it off’ in a corner, wrapped around his best mate Frank Field. We were taken back to our hotel in a ‘four-in-hand’ complete with post-horn, of which I took charge, though everyone else ‘wanted a blow’. From there a now slightly bedraggled, dishevelled group was taken to the Castle railway station, and so back to Birmingham. There was more ‘merry-making’ on the 2.29 from Northampton and when we arrived in Birmingham there was no ‘sham’ about the ‘pain’ in our heads, nor was there anything sham about the enthusiasm shown the team by the Birmingham public. Several thousand greeted us in Queen’s Drive, 15 from where a fleet of motor cars took us to the Grand Hotel. 16 There, more alcoholic sustenance and speeches. My joy was unbounded. I will always remember Northampton as giving me the greatest day of my life. 17 Warwick, thou art worthy 15 15 A public thoroughfare in those days dividing New Street Station. 16 A fine Victorian building sadly almost derelict in 2010. 17 An unnerving statement given the place Northampton was to play in his later life.