Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

amateur contribution to this game makes interesting reading: W.H.Holbech achieved a ‘pair’ in his only first-class match and Collin Langley one and seven, and one for 40 in nine overs. Warwicks now travelled up to the well-appointed Fartown ground, Huddersfield. An all-professional Yorkshire were led by a recently resurgent George Hirst. More significant was that for the first time Warwicks skipper was Frank Foster, at 21 the youngest ever, both before and since. For two days his side performed reasonably well but when set 266 in three hours they gave a deplorable display, all out 93. A first-innings 53 and match figures of five for 133 were reasonable but Foster gained few marks when being stumped for 17 ‘down the pitch’. The aim should have been a fighting draw. For the remainder of the season Foster continued to bowl well, reaching his peak in the Derbyshire return in August. Fred Byrne, the season’s fifth captain – a state of affairs that could not continue – batted and a score of 279 looked good when the visitors slumped to 120 for nine against some inspired bowling by Foster. A last-wicket stand of 87 between ex-Warwicks man Tom Forester and Joe Humphries improved matters but Foster’s six wickets (five bowled) for 65 in 31 overs put his side in the driving seat. In the second innings he again bowled brilliantly, his six for 51 (four bowled) won the game and he became (and remains) the youngest to take ten in a match for the county. Not that his bowling alone caught the eye. Against Surrey in Quaife’s benefit match he top-scored in both innings, 77 in 110 minutes and 68 in 100 minutes. He seemed on course for a maiden century but in the second innings he got himself out. The reason? He had arranged to go to Prestatyn with his parents to see a girl with whom he fancied himself to be in love. Warwicks succumbed by 42 runs. Cricket magazine said: ‘ … it is to be hoped he will not allow his batting to develop at the expense of his bowling. Only in comparatively few instances has a cricketer proved a mainstay … with both bat and ball and it is noticeable that in the match wherein Foster scored so well he took only three wickets at a cost of nearly 32 each.’ In the last match, Lancashire at Blackpool, with Foster as skipper, Warwicks had the best of things before poor weather ensured a draw. More pertinently, when dismissing Jack Sharp – the third of four second-innings victims – he completed 100 for the season. He remains the youngest Warwicks bowler to perform the feat. His season ended quietly with two games in the Scarborough Festival and an appearance for The Rest v Kent, the county champions, at The Oval. But 112 wickets, at an average of 21.19, in 24 matches: what a record for a 21-year-old! 30 Young cricketer making his way