Lives in Cricket No 20 - Maurice Tompkin

from his home in Wellingborough and a percentage of new membership income. His role was largely financial, and it must have come as a shock to receive the auditor’s report in 1939 that stated that ‘his books were unsatisfactory’ and that ‘book-keeping was not his metier’. As Wood was over 70, the club needed someone younger to replace him. The original shortlist of new secretaries, drawn up in July 1945, included Hon G.E.French, F.Gilman, Lt R.M.Poulton and W.E.Astill. It was not until the following May that C.J.B.Wood resigned, and G.O.J.Elliott, who had been prominent in charity fundraising during the war, took over. * * * * * Leicestershire’s preparations for the first post-war first-class season were chaotic. Because the county could not use Grace Road, their first (and only) practice match was at the Banks sports ground on Thursday, 2 May. Of the 22 players participating, nine never played in a county match. The Leicester Mercury reported that L.G.Berry’s team were at one stage 33 for six, but because of the difficulty of batting, second chances were given. It must have been with some desperation that the club tried to announce a team to play Middlesex the following Wednesday. They managed ten names, and then a couple of days later announced that Jack Howard would make up the eleven. Maurice may have been encouraged by the News Chronicle annual reporting him tersely as ‘Good bat.’ The long-awaited first day, at Lord’s, was washed out by rain. Leicestershire’s cause was not helped by an injury to George Udal who left the field after bowling only two overs. Thereafter, Leicestershire were always second best. That Denis Compton departed stumped off Leicestershire’s fastest bowler, Jim Sperry, suggests that he was batting well and treating the bowling with disdain, but also that Paddy Corrall was relishing his return after nearly ten years absence from the side. The Leicestershire scorer, Sammy Coe, recorded that at 4.58 pm on 9 May, Maurice walked out at Lord’s to resume his cricketing career. With the score on 16 for two, he faced Laurie Gray, the Middlesex opening bowler, who was to enjoy his best season. He played the first deliveries without scoring. He was joining Les Berry, who in this, as in many other innings this summer, was to keep the Leicestershire innings afloat. He got off the mark with a single off Jim Sims, but only ten minutes later the same bowler trapped him lbw. The second innings was little more successful, this time five runs either side of the tea interval. Middlesex ultimately won by 65 runs, twenty minutes from time. The team that departed for Derby on the 8.30 am train out of Leicester’s London Road station on 15 May must have been quietly optimistic. The Leicester Mercury was full of enthusiasm. Whereas hopeless cricketers were leading several counties as captain, Leicestershire had one of the 48 War and Peace, 1940 to 1949