Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

Sep Kinneir’s benefit he picked the team. For no reason now apparent he preferred Hands to Howell. The beneficiary chose to bat and calamity ensured – he was caught behind for two. Only an aggressive 56 in an hour by Foster, and a subdued 83 from Baker enabled Warwicks to reach 222. That this was insufficient was due almost entirely to a great 156 by Ernest Tyldesley and a last wicket stand of 131 with Ralph Whitehead. Lancashire registered a lead of 103. Warwicks’ impressive second innings owed much to Kinneir, who had the mortification of being dismissed for 98 in his benefit match, and Foster, who joined him at 28 for one and, when dismissed 40 minutes later, had scored 83 of the 101 added. Foster reached his fifty in 25 minutes placing him second, to himself, among Warwicks’ fast half-century scorers. Set to chase 293 in more than two sessions Lancashire never showed the slightest predisposition for a fight and were 100 for nine, with plenty of time left, when a torrential downpour saved them. Foster’s figures were five for 19 in 14 overs, Quaife’s four for 16 in eight. Match statistics of 139 in 100 minutes, and six for 83, yet Foster had been cheated of a win. Rubbing salt in the wounds, Lancashire went away with three points for first-innings lead, Warwicks only one. Rain and defensive tactics by Sussex cancelled out another good allround effort by Foster – five for 72 and 60 in 75 minutes in the following match and he maintained form against Hants at Edgbaston. After taking six for 63 in 27 overs Foster joined Quaife at 38 for three. Quaife scored eight of their stand of 42 and Foster raced to 75 out of 102 in 65 minutes. With Foster and Jeeves taking five each in Hampshire’s second knock, Warwicks eased to a seven-wicket win: 75 and 23 not out and 11 wickets for 141 – yet another outstanding performance. Sussex at Hastings clashed with The Oval’s Gentlemen v Players fixture. Parsons and Jeeves appeared for the Players but Foster preferred to lead his county. Sadly Warwicks were quite outplayed though, when set 394 to win, Foster set the right example, opening the innings and firing a quick 45 in a stand of 63, but a 259-run defeat saw the visitors emerge with little credit. Back to Lord’s for the Gentlemen v Players; great bowling by Johnny Douglas sent the professionals plunging to a heavy defeat and Foster gave good support with bat and ball. Warwicks now journeyed to Northampton; Foster batted and bowled with aggression but set to score 306 in 210 minutes, fell for 29 out of 35 and the shutters were put up. Two days later, and the Northamptonshire return and the ‘interesting’ selection of Foster’s younger brother Arthur, a Cambridge soccer Blue and Birmingham F.C. forward but with no track record as a cricketer. Having suffered a hand injury, Smith played as a batsman and Arthur Foster kept wicket. According to Frank, he had to persuade him to play ‘although he wasn’t much good’. He told him to stand guarding middle and leg, not to move his feet and just sway on his toes to right or left, so if his hands missed the ball it would hit his body. The game itself was played in doleful weather and remained unfinished, with Arthur taking two catches, neither off Frank’s bowling, and conceding fifteen byes. It was notable only for Syd Smith’s taking four wickets with four balls, still unique for Edgbaston. One Vicissitudes down to war 86