Lives in Cricket No 20 - Maurice Tompkin

were scored in 35 minutes and though for once Maurice was comfortably outscored he and Gerry Smithson eventually put on 160 in only 87 minutes, so that Leicestershire won with almost an hour to spare. And then, to the Scarborough cricket festival. Up to this point, Maurice had only played in what might be described as the ‘junior’ cricket festivals, at Hastings and Kingston upon Thames. This, and selection for the Players against the Gentlemen at the festival, could be considered as promotion to the élite club. Both were strong teams, with admittedly a strong Yorkshire presence. Overseas players also appeared, and in this match Maurice was joined in the Players team by his friend Jack Walsh as well as the New Zealander Tom Pritchard. Also playing was George Dawkes, and his rivals for a place in the England middle-order, Tom Graveney, Willie Watson and Vic Wilson. The game was drawn, Maurice scoring 37 and 21 in the desperate final-innings run-chase that ended ten runs short. This was the heyday of the Scarborough Festival and the crowds were magnificent, and it was reported during the Gentlemen v Players match that the daily attendance had exceeded 10,000 for the fifth day in a row. By now, Charles Palmer was firmly established, and the team he led was very much his own. They became known for their fielding and aggressive batting, and the welcome arrival in 1952 was a new, locally produced fast bowler, Terry Spencer. Palmer, no doubt recognising that Maurice had been the county’s leading run-scorer in the Championship, wrote the following in the club’s 1952 yearbook: Maurice is a fine example of the conscientious, loyal and selfless service shown by the staff. This can be seen at the end of a tiring and perhaps frustrating day in the field when he covers large stretches of the boundary line with as much will and endeavour (if not as much energy!) as at the commencement of play. He is a brilliant outfielder with a knowledge and experience that gives him good powers of anticipation. Alike in his batting, he places the side first and is ever ready to adapt his style of batting, despite its possible effect on his personal success, to the tactical needs of the moment. A naturally forceful stroke player, he gives exhilarating entertainment, particularly on hard wickets. He hates to be tied down but is willing to control his impulses if it becomes evident that he must stay at the wicket at all costs. His chief excellence with the bat is his straight drive, off quick and slow bowlers, both on the ground or over the bowler’s head. It is extraordinary how many times he has broken the wicket at the bowler’s end with a full-blooded drive. Maurice has taken up golf this last winter, but as yet I fear (and so does he!) his drives with the golf club are hardly as straight and successful as those with his bat! Years of Plenty, 1950 to 1953 76