Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

63 out of 71 in 25 minutes. A.R.Litteljohn took his wicket after being hit for four sixes in 11 balls: he must have been glad of a medical career on which to fall back. A day’s break and Warwicks travelled to Lord’s for the return. Warwicks batted first in poor light and J.W.Hearne, now 23, emphasised the value of youthful enterprise in a spinner, posting figures of eight for 117. Middlesex, from whose side it was rumoured P.F.Warner had been dropped, gained first-innings lead which was compounded when in light described as ‘yellowish-grey’ Warwicks collapsed against Tarrant’s spin to 69 all out. In suddenly improved conditions, Middlesex comfortably scored the required 25 runs for victory. Derbyshire at Edgbaston, a win essential if 1914 was not already to be a write-off. Warwicks’ 180 began to look reasonable when Derbyshire lost three for 9, six for 30, and ten for 71. Foster and Field bowled unchanged and were irresistible. Foster twice took two in two balls and figures of six for 18 in 18 overs were a fair indication of his form, while Field, four for 36, supported well. Finally given a day to score 253, Derbyshire skipper Capt R.R.C.Baggallay, in first to show the troops how things should be done, soon fell to Howell who, bowling very fast, achieved figures of six for 31 and the visitors, all out 127, made no show. Foster’s batting had gone off the boil but there was disquiet at a statement in the magazine World of Cricket issued on 26 June: ‘Frank Foster is evidently of a retiring disposition. It is said he will retire from county cricket at the end of this season. Seriously we hope not. Warwickshire could ill afford to lose him.’ The magazine felt he did not really mean it; suggestions of ‘crying wolf’ were implicit in the language used. Perhaps Foster was ‘simply’ depressed again. He needed to be in the right frame of mind for the next game – Yorkshire at Dewsbury – and a brilliant 206 by Charlesworth enabled Foster to declare on the second morning at 424 for eight. A team effort saw Yorkshire dismissed for 262. Foster happily enforced the follow-on but consistent batting enabled the Tykes to declare at 345 for nine, setting a victory target of 184 at nearly three a minute. Foster’s tactics had been puzzling; he opened the bowling with Quaife and Hands and gave himself only five overs and Field ten. Sending himself in first, Foster made a token effort, racing to 38 out of 63, before the game petered out to a disappointing draw. Things were easier when winless Gloucestershire now visited the Bull’s Head ground at Coventry and more fine batting by Charlesworth, 115 in 100 minutes, and excellent bowling by Field and Foster left the visitors with a day and a half to save the game. All out 94 was not the way to do it: they batted spinelessly. Howell was lethal and even Jessop scrambled singles to keep himself away from the youngster. There was now a break for the Lord’s ‘Centenary Game’ and it almost defied belief that Foster was not chosen. George Hirst, a shadow of his old self, was there as was the tyro George Geary, a reward for a good spell at Lord’s a couple of weeks earlier. One wonders at Foster’s feelings at being ignored for so historic an event. Lancashire came to Edgbaston and it being Vicissitudes down to war 85