Lives in Cricet No 33 - Jack Robertson and Syd Brown

89 1933, Jack’s score still stands as the county’s highest ever. Apparently, in order to establish some dominance over the bowlers, he liked to try to hit the first ball of the innings for four. 118 The author has not researched how often he managed to do this in his career, but Reg Perks was not the sort of bowler with whom such liberties could be taken and, in view of what was to follow, Jack’s innings began fairly circumspectly: a three off the fifth ball of the first over before playing out a Charles Palmer maiden over. After that the pace picked up and, in a chanceless innings, he hit two 6s and thirty-nine 4s. Using his feet well to get out to the slow bowlers, he was particularly severe on the flighty Jenkins who, with 183 victims, would be the season’s leading wicket-taker, but whose 30 wicket-less overs cost 153 runs. Only Lara, Macartney, Ponsford and Duleepsinhji have made more runs in a day; exalted company indeed. Unfortunately Syd had gone quickly, 119 but after that Jack had shared century partnerships with Dewes, Mann, Allen (a double-century) and Robins. Hopefully a puncture on leaving the ground didn’t spoil his day too much, although apparently none of the home bowlers offered to help him! An innings victory, and a Yorkshire defeat at The Oval, saw Middlesex go back to the top of the table, equal on points with Worcestershire. Syd was not to be outshone. After a poor run of scores he had been dropped for the Bank Holiday match at Hove. Although Jack and Harry Sharp opened with 138 in the second innings, Middlesex lost by six wickets, their first championship defeat of the season, and Syd was brought back. It was the second match of the Canterbury Festival Week, as always an elegant affair with its marquees and bands. Kent was not one of the stronger counties, but England’s Wright with his brisk wrist-spin was always a handful. Middlesex batted first and a run-a-minute opening stand ended when Wright had Jack caught in the covers for 71 with the score 152. Scoring all round the wicket, Syd continued to dominate however and made exactly 200 in just over five hours out of 362 for seven declared. It was his first double-century and he received many congratulatory telegrams. After two declarations, and 13 wickets by Young, Middlesex won by 107 runs late on the third day to stay top of the Championship. Middlesex won five matches in August, but unfortunately lost twice against Surrey. 120 This meant that although they finished their programme as championship leaders, Yorkshire could join them if they won their last match, which they did by overwhelming Glamorgan in Newport. Middlesex could look back on the season with satisfaction, tinged with the disappointment of not quite having done enough to win the Championship outright. The batting was still strong, and Jack and Syd had contributed fully, although Wisden noted that lack of concentration often led to the latter’s dismissal. The bowling however was more problematic, with the pace attack dismissing fewer than half as many batsmen as the varied spin 118 Jack had told John Neal this. 119 Which was at least fortunate for Middlesex scorer Joe Murrell as he ran out of space in the scorebook for Jack’s runs and needed most of Syd’s unused space as overflow! 120 Since the War, Middlesex had previously won all six matches against their local rivals. Honours Shared