Lives in Cricket No 20 - Maurice Tompkin

Of all the fine representative teams Maurice played for, this must count amongst the best. Apart from Hutton, the team included Graveney, Watson, Wardle, Evans, Alec Bedser and the Gentlemen included Edrich, May, Cowdrey and Bailey. The Players team, apart from Maurice, included Don Shepherd, considered by many to have been one of the finest bowlers never to play for England, and Ray Smith of Essex. This winter, he stayed at home. He played a lot of golf, much of it at Cosby and reduced his handicap. He also worked as an agent for a pools company, and started planning for his benefit the following year, in many ways the most important of a professional cricketer’s career. He also had time to enjoy being a dad. On one occasion, Chris remembers that they called at the newsagents for the inevitable packet of cigarettes, and Nick fell out of the car, bumping his head. His main concern was that Sheila would berate him for his carelessness. Years of Plenty, 1950 to 1953 91