LIves in Cricket No 31 - Walter Robins

19 Tournament he played club cricket at Nottingham up to 1914. He earned a DSO serving in the artillery during the First World War and in 1918 returned to take a position as a schoolmaster at a preparatory school. While at the school he discovered that he had a flair for cricket coaching and in 1925 rented an old garage at Richmond with room for just one matting pitch and a dressing-room. During his playing career, Faulkner had analysed every phase of the game and now he had a simple but comprehensive system of coaching so that he was able to demonstrate the methods that his pupils needed to adopt in a lucid and easily understood manner. Warner was particularly impressed and would write that ‘Aubrey Faulkner was, I should imagine, the best of all coaches. And how he worked! No day was too long for him. He gave his all to his pupils.’ The school was an instant success and Faulkner was encouraged to move to larger premises in south-west London. He was accompanied by Ian Peebles, his eighteen- year-old ‘secretary’, assistant and bowling protégé who had yet to make his first-class debut. When Robbie’s first lesson was booked, Faulkner took Peebles aside and advised him that he has been warned that the new student was ‘a perky lad and very much “king of the castle” at Highgate’. Details of Robbie’s incredible success as a schoolboy cricketer had apparently been accompanied by stories of his self-confidence that were interpreted by envious outsiders as evidence of vanity and conceit. Expecting a young know-it-all unprepared to accept advice, or even acknowledge that there may be errors in his technique, they were pleasantly surprised by his willingness to listen and learn. Peebles recorded that ‘We both took an instant liking to him.’ * * * * * * * There was a shock waiting for Robbie back at Cambridge when he turned up for the freshmen’s cricket trials at the start of the 1926 cricket season. Six players who had been regulars in the 1925 season and had played against Oxford that year were back for another year: competition from new arrivals for the remaining places was strong. Failing to impress in his trial match, Robbie heard that, even though he had already played championship cricket, he was not going to be selected for the early games. This was a setback that he was not prepared to accept without making every effort to prove to the Cambridge selection committee that they had made a mistake and he contacted Lord’s and offered his services to Middlesex. By a fortunate coincidence, the University’s first game was at Fenner’s against Middlesex, so he did not even have to travel. Bad weather meant that play was only possible on the second day but at least Robbie had an opportunity to show some of his batting and bowling skills, scoring ten and taking two wickets. While the match was in progress, the Trades Union Congress had called for a general strike and there was a strong rumour that all University matches would be cancelled. Other first-class matches throughout the country were expected to continue, so Robbie returned with the Middlesex team to Lord’s for their next game against Essex. The General Strike continued so Robbie remained in London and played for Middlesex against Somerset when he did not bowl but Cambridge and Aubrey Faulkner