Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

g) absurd changes of bowling; h) Confidence, the keynote of all success. A batsman should walk to the wicket with only one idea uppermost: ‘My bat is going to triumph over any bowler on this field.’ Sadly I have seen many cases of sheer funk displayed in the faces, even the speech of really first-class batsmen prior to their walk to the wicket. No wonder they have soon been back again, taking off their pads.’ Despite misgivings in some quarters, Warwicks’ winning the title was generally enthusiastically greeted. ‘Pavilion Gossip’ in the 2 September issue of Cricket said: The success of Warwickshire in securing the championship has been marked by an enthusiasm which has been remarkable. From all parts of the country, congratulations have poured in upon Mr Foster, and right well have they been deserved, for the enthusiasm and ability the young captain has displayed have been the means of increasing the attractiveness and match-winning capacity of the side to an extent it would be difficult to over-estimate. After their match with Surrey at The Oval early in the season, Warwickshire seemed the county least likely to carry off the chief honours of the year, and at the risk of being told it is dangerous to use superlatives, we state that the whole history of the game might be searched in vain for any more dramatic incident than the recent advance of the side. It is a good thing for the game that the championship should fall to the lot of a team which has never before experienced such success and Mr Foster and his men are thoroughly deserving of the many kind things which have recently been said in their praise. The writer is believed to be J.N.Pentelow, a well-known cricket journalist, and he, at least seems aware of the part played by the 22-year-old genius, Frank Foster. An alternative view is given in the following issue of the same magazine, though the columnist, R.S.Holmes, stresses the ideas are not his: ‘Is not Kent the stronger county, with 17 wins to Warwickshire’s 13, each having the same number of losses, 4?’ Holmes then mentions those who gravely inform everyone that ‘by the previous two or more methods of placing the counties Kent would occupy premier position.’ ‘Unconscious humorists all,’ averred the splendid Holmes. ‘A team has to play under, and if necessary adapt to, contemporary conditions, not those of the past. Warwickshire did this admirably and so won the title.’ The fact is that the counties agreed to the new points system – five points for a win, three for first-innings lead in a drawn game, one point for the other side, the winners being the team with the highest percentage of the points possible for them to obtain. Warwicks obtained 74 of a possible 100 points, having played 20 matches, therefore 74% while runners up Kent played 26 matches but gained only 96 of a possible 130 points, therefore 73.84%. Looking at the overall statistics of the summer, Warwickshire’s success in jumping from fourteenth in the competition to first can be Tell Kent from me she hath lost 47