Lives in Cricket No 20 - Maurice Tompkin

He gets a great kick from his bowling. May I be forgiven if I say he’s about the only one who does! His bowling might be described as fast leg spinners (right-hand is the general impression) of somewhat uncertain length and direction, with a googly (admittedly difficult to spot) that sometimes does and sometimes does not. One could, perhaps, summarise by saying that his bowling (when allowed) causes a refreshing degree of merriment in festival and benefit matches and at practice in the nets. The reference to golf rather understated his enthusiasm or ability at the game. He played at Cosby, just a couple of miles or so from his home, and quickly achieved a handicap of eight. In his time it was just a nine-hole course, and though there were many club competitions he did win one in his first year. This was the ‘Woodland Cup’, a medal competition for higher handicap players. He followed this up in 1955 with a Pairs win, playing with S.J.Coleman for the Mann Trophy, and then again in 1956 he won the Clarke Cup, a singles medal event for lower handicap players. As time went on Sheila, fed up with spending the winters with an absent golfing husband, took up the game as well, and it was through a golfing connection that she later met her second husband. * * * * * Leicestershire’s championship season of 1952 had a curious symmetry about it: played 27, won 9, lost 9, drawn 9. The remaining match, away against Northamptonshire over the August Bank Holiday, was a no-result, not even achieving an outcome on first innings because of the weather. The locals were delighted by sixth position, the best since 1935, with only 1905, when fifth place was achieved, being more successful. Wisden thought the county ‘had seldom had a happier summer.’ It is fair to point out that Surrey, who won the Championship, won 20 matches and lost 3; and the runners up, Yorkshire, won 17 and lost 2. The best teams were therefore some way ahead of the field. The early-season highlight was the match against Middlesex at Grace Road. On a perfect wicket, Middlesex scored 407, in just 333 minutes, with Jack Robertson and Denis Compton scoring centuries. Leicestershire overtook this total with an even faster innings, declaring with six wickets down to leave Middlesex with 50 minutes batting on Monday evening. Maurice dominated proceedings. He scored 156 in under 3 hours; his first 50 took 56 minutes, his second 57 and his third 49, and he put on 115 for the third wicket with Charles Palmer, and in all he hit 17 fours. The scorebooks used by the county during his career do not always show the time taken for each milestone, but it is likely that this century was the fastest that he scored for Leicestershire. Years of Plenty, 1950 to 1953 77