Lives in Cricket No 30 - MJK Smith

51 83, 33, 184*, 72, 200*, 79, 166, 0, 142, 100, 9, 76, 9. His total of 1,207 runs fell just 87 short of the record for a calendar month set by Len Hutton in 1949. On 3 August Mike made another 142, this time undefeated, against Northants. Of his July hundreds the first two were at Edgbaston: his 184 not out built the way to an easy win against Leicestershire after Watson had elected to field; and his undefeated 200 came out of 300 against Worcestershire to set up a declaration in a match that ended with Warwickshire needing just one more wicket but taking no points. Perhaps more important were scores of 79 and 166 for the Gentlemen against the Players on a sporting pitch at Lord’s. Of his first innings Wisden reported that he was ‘almost alone in his mastery of a varied attack’ while his 166 was the highest post- war score in the fixture. It was batting of a quality that virtually forced a recall to the England side. In his next match, against Derbyshire at Burton, Mike celebrated news of his selection for the Old Trafford Test, avenging a first-innings duck when he had fallen lbw to Les Jackson as his 142 set up a target that brought victory to Warwickshire by 26 runs. The Old Trafford Test was the fourth of a series India had already lost comprehensively, by an innings at Trent Bridge, by eight wickets at Lord’s and then by an innings at Headingley. Though the first choice as an opening pair, Milton and Ken Taylor of Yorkshire, had failed, the consistent success of the recalled Ken Barrington had reduced vacancies in the middle order. To accommodate Mike, the selectors omitted Cowdrey, who had just made 160 at Nottingham. In the end Cowdrey returned as captain when May was unfit to play, while a still-unproven Ted Dexter came in at number six, replacing Brian Close as the allrounder. In ideal batting conditions England had reached 164 for two when Mike joined Geoff Pullar, the left-hand opening batsman who was on his way to becoming the first Lancashire player to score a Test century on his home ground. Mike began nervously, taking 20 minutes to get off the mark, but before long he was into his stride with graceful strokes piercing the leg side. Fifty-five overnight, he reached his hundred next day, his fifth century in successive matches. All out for 490, England soon had the Indian batsmen in trouble and, with their score 127 for six at close of play on the second day, Cowdrey, keen to ensure play for the holiday crowds, announced that he would not be enforcing the follow- on. Centuries from Polly Umrigar and Abbas Ali Baig on his Test debut extended the match into the final day before England won A golden summer