Lives in Cricet No 33 - Jack Robertson and Syd Brown

38 Unlike most counties the Middlesex club did not play any matches during the war, although in most seasons they joined forces with Essex to play a match against a combined Kent and Surrey team. 55 However, under Pelham Warner’s stewardship, Lord’s was well used by various sides and Jack and Syd would find a number of opportunities to re-acquaint themselves with their home pitch. As well as playing for the Army and for Middlesex and Essex, they would play for a variety of other sides when the opportunity arose. However, they played little cricket in 1940. Times were dark: the ‘Phoney War’ had come to an end and, until the Battle of Britain was won in September, the threat of invasion was frighteningly real. Driver Robertson and Lance-Corporal Brown were united once during the season on 17 August, contributing 48 and 9 respectively as Sir P.F.Warner’s XI successfully chased 270 to defeat the Club Cricket Conference by three wickets with five minutes to spare. With 540 runs in the day, including a 70-minute century from Denis Compton, over 8,000 spectators were richly entertained and they showed their appreciation by contributing £101 to a collection for the Red Cross. Syd appeared once more at Lord’s before the end of the season, for a Lord’s XI against a Middlesex XI on 7 September. It was something of a ‘family gathering’ as there were nine Middlesex men on one side and seven on the other. The game ended in a dramatic fashion. 7 September saw the first major air raid on London and the beginning of the Blitz. Syd had opened with F.G.Mann as the Lord’s XI set off in pursuit of Middlesex’s modest 152. He made only seven but his side were in with a chance of victory when an air-raid warning was sounded. The Government had ruled that cricketers taking part in matches in the London area must take cover during an air-raid warning. I suspect they didn’t need too much encouragement. A long hold-up in play thus ensued, reported by The Times , with admirable understatement, as a ‘hindrance’. MCC had ruled that matches should be played out if at all possible and so, when the all-clear siren was eventually heard, the game restarted and a rejuvenated Laurie Gray quickly bowled Middlesex to victory. Scorecards would eventually provide detail about where shelter could be found in the event of an air raid. Spectators were advised not to loiter in the streets, which does sound like very sensible advice! With over 50 matches Lord’s doubled its fixture list in 1941, starting with London Fire Service against Reading University in early May and finishing with Cross Arrows against a British Empire XII four months later. Jack managed five matches there, plus two for the Army at the end of August, at Aigburth and at Headingley. With two matches later in the summer, Syd’s appearances at Lord’s were more limited. To help the war effort the country was operating on Double Summertime (clocks forward two hours) so that most people could travel and work during daylight hours. This did mean, however, that with much moisture remaining on the pitch, life was particularly difficult for opening batsmen at the beginning of an all-day match. The problems caused were well illustrated in Jack’s first 55 During the War Middlesex made grants to professionals based on services rendered to the county and with due regard to their war-time occupation. Intermission