Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

monopolized a stand of 72 with Johnny Douglas and scored 65 in an hour. All that the magazine Cricket had to say was that he brought off some ‘capital hits’. The Players were restricted to 201 and Foster dismissed Hobbs, Rhodes and Hirst but the wicket that gave him most pleasure was ‘Tiger’ Smith’s, such was his quirky way. Foster scored an aggressive 32 second knock and though his two second-innings wickets cost 93 he played his part in the Gentlemen’s victory, and would have returned to Edgbaston to take on Northamptonshire with a spring in his step. Warwicks made a scrappy start. Foster himself scored 24 out of 31 added for the fourth wicket with Quaife. He had just hit six and four in successive balls but then clattered the inoffensive leg spin of John Denton down the throat of Bob Haywood. Fortunately Quaife dominated the remainder of the innings; he ‘farmed’ the later bowling so expertly he actually scored 113 in only 150 minutes. A total of 267 began to look good when Northamptonshire found themselves on 57 for six and then 121 for nine but, inspired by a century by West Indian Syd Smith, they reached 189 before Foster bowled wicket-keeper Buswell. A lead of 78 looked good but Warwicks had lost three for 32 when Foster joined Quaife. They added 123, Foster’s share a blistering 98 in 90 minutes with ten fours and a six before he went down the wicket to Syd Smith and was stumped by the portly, but agile Walter Buswell. Northamptonshire finally needed 309 but collapsed so abjectly they were soon 36 for six and eventually all out 81. Foster added five for 25 to his first innings four for 79 and scored 24 and 98. For the second time in the season he had scored 100 runs and taken eight wickets in a match. He was to perform this feat four times in all. In the whole history of Warwicks cricket six players have achieved such an allround performance, Foster alone more than once. Travelling next to Chichester in Sussex, Foster won the toss for the ninth championship game in succession and Warwicks achieved their first ‘double’ of the season owing a huge debt to Kinneir, who became the first to record a century in each innings for the county. Foster supported him well second knock with 65 at a run a minute; then his five for 52 saw them home. Back to Edgbaston and the Gloucestershire match had more than usual interest, with a Saturday start for the first time. A first-day crowd of some 12,000 suggested the experiment was a success. The visitors won the toss and reached 340. Foster had another ‘five-for’ and Field dismissed the dangerously adhesive Charles Barnett and the more aggressive G.L.Jessop. Warwicks made a consistent reply; Foster hit 56 in 45 minutes but the backbone was another Quaife century. Gloucestershire did enough to set Warwicks a target of 149 on the third afternoon but any worries were quickly forgotten. Going in at three, Foster played like a man inspired. His 87 in 75 minutes with two sixes, set them on their way and after he was bowled by the persevering youngster Dipper, only 20 were required. Yet another match where Foster achieved the rare 100 runs and eight wickets feat. His 143 runs took a mere 120 minutes, while accurate leg-theory Tell Kent from me she hath lost 39