Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

42 in 36 overs before rain ruined the game. It must have been a shock to read Hamish Stuart in Cricket advocating Foster’s omission: England often treat their heroes shabbily. On his return to the county scene Foster saw an unsatisfactory draw against Yorkshire, rain saving his side from a heavy defeat and he then joined Smith for the second South African Test at Headingley. Foster did well in support but Barnes spearheaded England’s victory. Before returning to Edgbaston Foster and Smith had a Gentleman v Players game at The Oval. Of most interest was the return, after a long absence on state business, of the great Ranjitsinhji: he scored 24 and 42. The match included a short break as a mark of respect for former Test fast bowler Tom Richardson, whose funeral it was at Richmond but cricket-wise the game lacked interest and colour. Foster dismissed only Hobbs and Mead and scored four runs. 48 Next Warwicks opponents were top-of-the-table Northamptonshire, going for a first title on the back of cracking wins over Kent and Surrey, and now Vicissitudes down to war 69 Cartoon of Foster by his playing colleague Charles Baker. Baker was later a cartoonist for national newspapers and a lightning artist on the music halls. 48 An odd feature of this game that at least four participants suffered mental illness. Fry suffered recurrent problems; Greswell (he became known as ‘Mr Wells from Assam’ on his return to England) never recovered from the depression suffered while tea-planting; Bert Relf was eventually driven to take his own life; and then there was Foster.