Lives in Cricket No 18 - FR Foster

of the four was Arthur, his first ball in first-class cricket; second time around he did better and was unbeaten on one when the game was abandoned. Another damp draw followed, against Leicestershire at Hinckley; Warwicks were grateful for a gritty century from Kinneir – his last. But Foster and his side now had a happier time at the only first-class match ever played at Lancaster. Quaife and Baker scored centuries; then Foster (four for 58) and Jeeves (six for 51) skittled Lancashire for 128. Foster, ‘stumped by a mile’ off Dean for 14 declared to set Lancashire a target of 361, or playing out the last day. They did neither; Foster creamed off the four top men and Lancashire were well beaten. The match finished with Ralph Whitehead run out trying to ‘steal’ the bowling. That incident alone summed up the worst-ever season for the Red Rose. Foster had no clue as he led out his men at the start of August for the Edgbaston return with Worcestershire that this was to be his last local derby; he would certainly not have anticipated an incident involving one of the ‘other’ Fosters. In miserable weather the visitors collapsed to 122 all out, Jeeves taking seven for 52 and Foster three for 50, his wickets including Geoffrey and Neville Foster. Warwicks replied, amidst interruptions, with 139 all out. There was little to play for, but Worcestershire could hardly have wished to slump to 14 for four before the game was called off. The match was dead yet M.K.Foster regarded it as of sufficient importance to make a name for himself, albeit in entirely the wrong way. Worcestershire had made a dire start and when Maurice Foster joined Bowley they were 7 for three and Frank Foster had just dismissed ‘Spinney’ Lane. 52 Maurice Foster came to the wicket and played the last ball of the over, for no run. Jeeves bowled a maiden to Bowley and Foster (M.K.) now faced Foster (F.R.) again. The first ball was reported to have bowled him ‘neck and crop’ but instead of quietly departing like the great sportsmen the Worcester Fosters supposedly were, he refused to leave the crease, claiming he was ‘not ready’. When Smith passed on the message to Frank Foster his reputed reaction was ‘Not ready? Here, throw me the ******* ball, Tiger.’ He then bowled what Smith reckoned was the fastest ball Foster ever sent down, pitching full toss on top of the stumps with the batsman doing a rapid backward chassé towards square leg. ‘Now will you go?’ Frank shouted down the pitch to Maurice, who did as he was asked, having been Vicissitudes down to war 87 52 ‘Spinney’ Lane, an ebullient Black Country character, was in his first season, apparently as a professional. In a curious career Lane played for Warwicks as an amateur from 1919 to 1925 then returned to Worcestershire, for whom he last played in 1932 aged 46. A self-made industrialist, Lane was awarded an M.B.E. for his services to the First World War arms industry. In the Second World War he worked hard organising cricket in the Birmingham area.