LIves in Cricket No 31 - Walter Robins

92 played at less than full strength — on occasions Young and Robertson were taken for Test matches as well as Compton and Edrich — they won seven.’ Of the five occasions when Middlesex were beaten, ‘three were through continuing to attack a large fourth innings objective, rather than accept a “safe” draw.’ In mid July, against Somerset at Taunton, when left 369 runs to win on the last day, Robbie was asked, ‘You’re not going for the runs are you?’ and he replied, ‘Not ‘arf … !’ and their tenth wicket fell 25 runs short of the target with ten minutes still left for play. With or without his star players, Robbie always expected to win. According to Christopher Martin-Jenkins, an old Middlesex player was once asked, ‘What difference did Walter Robins make to a match?’ He replied, ‘The difference between the quick and the dead.’ But there was still one more match for Middlesex to play that season, the four-day Champion County versus The Rest of England at The Oval. England’s Test captain, Norman Yardley, led The Rest which was filled with players from the summer’s successful Test series against South Africa and expected to give Robbie and his merry men a real test. Winning the toss, Robbie was able to declare on the second day at 543 for nine, thanks to 246 from Compton and 189 from Edrich, and after making The Rest follow on, won by nine wickets. The champion county had won this fixture only twice before. A Fresh Start with Old Friends The well-known photograph of the Middlesex side which won the County Championship in 1947. Standing (l to r): J.T.Eaglestone, A.W.Thompson, J.D.B.Robertson, L.H.Compton (wk), L.H.Gray, S.M.Brown, J.A.Young. Seated: J.M.Sims, F.G.Mann, R.W.V.Robins (capt), W.J.Edrich, D.C.S.Compton. Robbie led the side in 18 of its 26 matches.