Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

Foster’s Edgbaston return marked the visit of Derbyshire, in free fall after a promising start and lacking Warren, gone missing, and Chapman, scourge of recent Warwicks attacks. They were led by Tom Forester, ex-Warwicks and Saltley College boy, but after another Parsons century they collapsed twice to Field, with first innings figures of six for 25, and Foster, who had seven for 116 in the match. Now to Old Trafford and a swashbuckling 89 on the first morning by Smith gave hope, but they reckoned without John Tyldesley, who made his eleventh century against Warwicks. The county’s batters did fight in their second knock, but Lancashire eventually eased to a seven-wicket win. Scores of one and three, and one wicket for 105 suggest Foster had another of those matches to which he appeared too prone. Bereft of inspiration he seemed of little consequence. An interesting aside is that in Cricket magazine of this time E.H.D.Sewell said Foster had joined Ealing. Despite help from present-day officers of that club no trace has been found of his membership. The Edgbaston return with struggling Worcestershire gave grounds for optimism, but Foster put them in and lunch saw the visitors 200 for three, with Bowley not out 136, still the best first-morning score in a Warwicks match. He finally reached 177 in 160 minutes but was almost alone and with Foster having figures of six for 76, Worcestershire declined to 266. With Jeeves achieving his best-ever figures of seven for 34 a second innings collapse saw a seven-wicket Warwicks win on the second afternoon. A Yorkshire visit to Edgbaston brought two items of news. Frank Stephens, of the twins, had just been informed a knee injury would not allow him to play again, but the other side of the coin saw a debut for Harry Howell, a square-built local fast bowler of part-Welsh ancestry with some Patagonian thrown in. Howell eventually played for England but was unlucky with his captains, one of whom, A.E.R.Gilligan spent his spare time extolling the virtues of Mussolini’s fascism: (Before the 1924/25 tour Special Branch warned its Australian counterpart of the extremist connections of both Gilligan and tour manager Frederick Toone.) The Yorkshire match saw a good effort by Warwicks but a possible victory dash with an even-time half century by Foster was spoiled by rain. A trip to the Cheltenham Festival was abortive and Surrey must have fancied their Edgbaston chances. They had a fine batting line-up and were facing an attack containing one bowler of uncertain fitness (Field), one whose pace and fire exceeded his control (Howell) and a captain seemingly sick of the game. Although Jeeves took five wickets, a total of 324 must have been disappointing to Surrey. Warwicks’ reply of 312 owed nearly all to Quaife and Charlesworth, with contrasting centuries, and Foster’s bright 30. Surrey’s second-innings tactics were incomprehensible, unless the idea was not to lose. They defended on the third day, reaching 240 for nine in five hours, H.S.Harrison taking 235 minutes over 79, while Ernest Hayes scored 43 in 130 minutes. ‘The crowd grew restive’ said a report. They finally set a target of 253 in under two hours. One wonders what possessed Surrey skipper Tom Hayward; could his young opposite number not have Vicissitudes down to war 78