Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

His victims were skipper L.G.Wright, a fine player albeit a veteran, and nuggety pro Sam Cadman. Neither was likely to sell his wicket cheaply and at lunch Wright said to Foster: ‘I predict that if you are half as good as Sydney Barnes you will play for England. Barnes was the first man to obtain my wicket in County cricket and now you come along and obtain it in your first match. Furthermore with your next ball you obtain the wicket of Sam Cadman.’ 27 Derbyshire reached 185, Billy Quaife taking the last five wickets with his slow, flighted non-turners. Foster took no more wickets, Fishwick wisely not submitting him to too much exposure, but two for 14, in 15 overs, looked impressive. Derbyshire, mainly due to a century from L.G.Wright, fought hard after following on but at 216 for four, Foster, whose opening spell had been unproductive, returned. 216 for four became 256 all out, and Foster’s final and decisive spell saw him take four of the last five wickets for nine runs. Six wickets, a match-winning spell – the real outcome was the discovery of a new star in the firmament. He retained his place for the next four matches. Against Surrey at The Oval, Hayward and Hobbs were in cracking form and the former hit a fine century as they belaboured the bowling, Foster included, but he did get both their wickets as his county forced an unlikely draw. Foster’s home debut was against Hampshire; some aggressive pace bowling by Frank Field which brought him five wickets put the home side in the driving seat, but Foster gave good support with three for 35. Foster managed only one second-innings wicket and was dismissed for two by Buck Llewellyn, the coloured South African Test player, but Warwicks needed only 52 for victory. It was then up to Blackpool to take on Lancashire, and a first experience of the dismal side of county cricket. Rain, gloom, a poor wicket, yet memorable for Foster who first knock dismissed Archie Spooner, Jack Sharp, A.H.Hornby, Huddleston and Harry Dean for his first five-wicket haul. Unfortunately workaday medium-pacer Willie Huddleston found conditions perfect; thirteen wickets for 112 was a career best and won the game for his side. Foster’s final outing was against Northamptonshire at Edgbaston, playing a quiet but important role with second innings figures of three for 29 in an innings victory. 28 Foster was also selected for the Leicestershire game at Coventry but rain allowed not a single ball to be bowled. Disappointing for him, since he Young cricketer making his way 25 27 Actually this was complete fiction. Wright played his first county match in 1883 and was dismissed in both innings by the one-eyed, tragically short-lived Sussex left-armer ‘Jumper’ Juniper. Presumably he was simply encouraging our subject. Wright remembered his debut well enough in his memoirs, reporting that Juniper was ‘a big man with a shade over one eye’. 28 Apropos nothing, the Northamptonshire openers were Freeman and Hardy, while in 1919 Willis made an appearance. Apart from this being appropriate to the shoe county, those to whom such things appeal may like to know that Freeman Hardy and Willis shoe shops were eventually swallowed up by Sears PLC, as were Foster Brothers.