Lives in Cricket No 30 - MJK Smith

33 Chapter Four Romance in the Argentine In his first two summers at Oxford, Mike played cricket for Leicestershire after the Varsity Match. Fourth in the county’s batting averages each year, he had justified his place in the side without quite maintaining his university form. There were no centuries, his best score being 72 against Essex, but his most telling innings came in his first county match of 1955, against Surrey at The Oval. Joining Gerry Lester with Leicestershire’s score 9 for two, Mike helped to record that summer’s first century partnership against the reigning champions’ formidable attack. Mike’s university career had run its course as his Oxford team set out on their tour in the summer of 1956. He had acquired a degree in Geography, a respectable second class, despite the time he had devoted to sport and greatly helped by dons who had recognized the need to be flexible if he was to find time to see them for tutorials. ‘At Oxford I didn’t do an awful lot except The Leicestershire side of 1955. Standing (l to r): N. Bloxsom (scorer), J. Firth (wk), E.F. Phillips, J. Goodwin, C.T. Spencer, M.J.K. Smith, R.A. Diment, V.S. Munden. Seated: J.E. Walsh, M. Tompkin, C.H. Palmer (capt), G. Lester, V.E. Jackson. Mike played 28 first-class matches for his home county in three seasons.