Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

table, or near enough.’ Douglas was forced to cajole him into a waiting rickshaw so they would catch the boat and, because they were not making sufficient speed, Foster leaped out, got between the shafts and pulled Douglas to the waiting ship. He was immediately ordered to bed by Warner ‘like a naughty child’. The tour began with South Australia at Adelaide and despite the presence of Test man Clem Hill and eccentric ex-Surrey allrounder Jack Crawford, MCC won by an innings. Foster was one of three centurions with the highest debut score for a Test tour in Australia. His 158 in 162 minutes was magnificent. He dominated a stand of 157 with Warner and scored all but ten of a 60 partnership with Douglas. Foster and Barnes then scythed through the first innings, Foster four for 58, and he took another, for 24 in the second innings. A tremendous start but sadly Warner, unwell on the voyage, was taken ill following the game and did not play again on tour, Douglas taking over the captaincy. An arduous train journey and the first Victoria game; MCC won a close contest by 49 runs and another Foster century created most appreciation. His 101 out of 133 with 13 fours came in only 134 minutes. Foster added 107 with Douglas, who scored 33 unbeaten out of 179 while he was in, prompting an exasperated crowd to award the soubriquet ‘Johnny Won’t Hit Today’. Tiger Smith and Kinneir made their tour debuts and acquitted themselves well though the latter – forty years old and ponderous in the field – may have realised his may be a marginal role but there would have been no worries about his value as a team man. After another terrible train journey, lasting 17 and a half hours in intense heat and with only basic facilities, the party arrived in Sydney to an enthusiastic welcome and a civic reception. Warner, journeying by ship, arrived late, but in time for the start of the New South Wales game. Rain saw a disappointing draw but Foster bowled well, his three wickets including Trumper and Warren Bardsley, both caught behind by Strudwick. About this game, Strudwick wrote in 1959: ‘I gave Foster the signal to bowl one outside leg stump for me to try and stump Duff, who I thought might move his right foot. Instead Foster sent the ball very wide of off stump and four byes resulted. The second time I signalled I made sure he saw what I meant. This time he bowled the ball straight to Frank Woolley at first slip. Then I realised he did not intend to give me the chance which he might have allowed had “Tiger” Smith, his own county wicket-keeper been behind the stumps.’ 43 Under the Southern Cross 55 43 Comment of this nature, from a wicket-keeper whose incompetence let England down on this tour, is disgraceful. In fact Duff did not play in this match: indeed he had last played first-class cricket in December 1907. Since this was the issue of Wisden which included Foster’s obituary, it puts the editing and Strudwick’s ‘ghost’ in a poor light. Tiger Smith informed this writer years later that, on this tour, Strudwick simply could not ‘handle’ either Barnes or Foster.