Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

These events had happy endings; but as we have said, there was also some sadness. Lilley had always had trouble taking Foster. His hands and fingers had been knocked about, but Foster’s deceptive pace off the pitch from leg also caused problems. So Tiger Smith had taken over the gloves, with Lilley playing as a batsman but unhappy serving under Foster. During the second morning Lilley, from short leg, started waving his arms about, directing fielders. Lilley knew of Denton’s penchant for the lofted drive and so felt some of the fielders should be deeper. Unfortunately instead of telling Foster he moved the fielders himself, his voice loud enough to be heard by spectators. Foster reminded him, also loudly, that he – not Lilley – was captain, and if Lilley had any advice to offer he should just tell him. ‘Don’t make me look a fool,’ he told Lilley, at which Lilley walked into the long field where he remained until lunch. After the interval Foster went into the professionals’ room and was apparently greeted with dead silence, and no-one spoke as he led them onto the field. Things remained low key for the remainder of Yorkshire’s innings but during Foster’s brilliant century Lilley, batting opposite, came up and congratulated him on his batting. ‘It was the best I have seen, and I’ve seen them all’. Such obsequiousness was most unlike Lilley. That evening one of the professionals told Foster that during lunch Lilley had tried to persuade the rest of the players not to take the field after the interval. He complained he had never been spoken to in the way Foster had spoken that morning, and he wasn’t going to stand ‘a young kid of 22’ telling him what to do. The others gave Lilley’s strike call short shrift and had Field not injured his elbow Lilley may not have played in the next match. But, travelling straight to Southampton with no spare man, there was little choice but to include him. When, however, on the Sunday before the next home game, with Worcestershire, R.V.Ryder telephoned to ask who he wanted in the team, Foster replied, ‘There is one I do not want to play: Dick Lilley.’ The Hampshire match, with Field absent and a ‘feeling’ between Foster and Lilley, proved an anti-climax after Harrogate, a last-wicket stand of 88 between young Alec Kennedy and Eric Olivier, a Cambridge Blue, propelling Hampshire to 283. Foster seemed off colour but did take three wickets to complete his ‘double’ for the season. Another fine innings by Kinneir – his 148 was reported as ‘chanceless’ – helped towards to a good lead but Warwicks’ optimism may have been tempered by the knowledge that Southampton wickets usually lasted, and Hampshire, in this dry, sunny season, had exceeded 400 in every match but one. Phil Mead and A.C.Johnston put on 292 for the third wicket (still the county’s record against Warwicks), destroying all hopes of another victory and when Hampshire declared on 457 Mead was unbeaten on 207, his first double century, taking only three hours. Foster seemed distracted, conceding 75 in 17 overs and opening the second innings swished around wildly to score the first ten runs before succumbing. Despite the draw Warwicks retained third spot. The conversation with Ryder confirmed Foster had another matter on his mind – the problem of Lilley, unsympathetic excess baggage Tell Kent from me she hath lost 41