Lives in Cricket No 20 - Maurice Tompkin

Still only 13 in 1932, Maurice’s cricketing development continued with the Junior team, but he only made one score of note, a knock of 42 in a match against Westcotes House. The report stated that he was a ‘class batsman, out of luck’. Playing conditions were generally poor. The school played City Boys at the Old County Ground on a wicket that Philip Snow, who was at the school at the same time as Maurice, refused to describe when writing about the match in the school magazine because it was so bad. Even so Maurice managed to score four half-centuries. The review stated: Tompkin has done most of the scoring. The only method of getting him out under 20 is by bowling him a very fast ball or a very slow ball. No medium-paced bowler, or one of medium-fast pace, can hope to prevent his powerful slash through the covers, or to penetrate his defence, which, unsound though it is, is designed so as to become a scoring stroke at the very last minute. Though he uses the leg side infrequently, he is probably sounder there. His off drive and slash are either fours or caught, because the ball sometimes travels through the air. They are not made strictly ‘along the carpet’. He nevertheless remains a batsman of extraordinary promise, for whom it would be too easy to predict a great cricketing future. The pen portrait describes him as a ‘brilliant batsmen, with glorious strokes all round the wicket. A fine contrast to Snow as opening batsman. He is delightful to watch. A very good fielder anywhere.’ He scored almost Learning the game 14 Alderman Newton’s school first eleven in 1934, with Maurice aged fifteen. Philip Snow and Maurice are seated to the left and right of captain H.W.Davies, on the front row. Captain Osborn, the coach, is standing on the left at the back.