Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

who must not be allowed to spoil what Foster had built up. Foster had his way and Lilley was omitted for the Worcestershire game. Perhaps the skipper had been cruel, but maybe there was also kindness in his action. Lilley never played again. The Worcestershire match was played in extreme heat. Batting first, Warwicks played indifferently but their innings was rescued by a fourth-wicket stand of 112 between Quaife and Foster, who again played brilliantly hitting 85 in 90 minutes. A total of 274 began to look good when Foster took four of the first five wickets for 45, his victims including Geoffrey and Harry of the ‘other’ Fosters, but the Worcestershire later order rallied to 193. Fine knocks by Frank Stephens and Baker (the latter replacing Lilley) and a typically aggressive 62 in 55 minutes from Foster enabled Warwicks to set 466 for victory on the final day. Field left the field with sunstroke and a stand of 156 between Arnold and W.B.Burns seemed to put victory beyond reach. When Foster belatedly brought himself back at 301 for seven and bowled Burrows they had a whiff of hope but Burns and Simpson-Hayward stood firm until stumps. Had Foster declared earlier the result may have been different but Field was unwell and the veterans Quaife and Santall also faltered in the heat. Third spot was maintained however, though no ground was made up on Kent or Middlesex. Next day saw lowly Derbyshire at Edgbaston. The match had to be won to rekindle the flagging title chase, but ex-Warwicks man Forester found a bumpy pitch helped him and 170 all out began to look even worse when Cadman and John Chapman – ever a thorn in the Bears’ flesh, or perhaps it should be paw – raced to 149 for one. With Field and Foster then extracting the sort of life found by Forester there was a collapse to 238 all out, Field five for 96, Foster four for 66. Warwicks made another sticky start but, as ever, the skipper responded with 70 in 70 minutes. Quaife achieved a more staid century and an hour into the last day Derbyshire were given a victory target of 346, a hard task soon rendered hopeless. Sensing a return to winning ways Foster took the first six wickets and had a spell of four for eight in an hour. He then tired but he had done the damage and the visitors subsided to a 165-run defeat. Foster’s six for 37 gave him a match return of ten for 103 in 46.4 overs, while his second-innings aggression kick-started the march to victory. Was there nothing he, and through him, his team, could not now achieve? Lancashire, having just done Warwicks a favour by beating Kent were next visitors to Edgbaston. Any disappointment at losing the toss disappeared as Field and Foster consigned Lancashire to 50 for four. Ernest Tyldesley battled hard for 71 in two hours but no-one stayed with him, there being no fifty partnerships in their 210. Field, again in fine form, had five for 78. Warwicks started badly but Kinneir and Quaife played so well that by the close the arrears were only 33, with eight wickets left. After a mini-collapse next morning, Foster and George Stephens then added 123 for the seventh wicket in fine style. They batted only 60 minutes before Foster, on 98 at Tell Kent from me she hath lost 42