Lives in Cricket No 36 - WE Astill

116 The Test Player Rarely on other occasions, however, did Astill, though often demanding respect, fill rôles other than those of a supporting or containing bowler and on occasions his efforts are described by a term such as ‘ineffective’. In striking contrast his batting was largely a triumphant progress until mid July. His brisk 25 not out in the first match when Leicestershire wobbled at Worcester ensured his side victory; and thus encouraged he passed fifty in his next five appearances at the crease. Hampshire suffered first as they took his wicket once for 178 runs as he top-scored in both innings. Having conceded a deficit of 286, his team faced defeat at 133 for five, but a masterly and chanceless undefeated century in 220 minutes averted that prospect. There followed, in a rain-drawn contest with Glamorgan, another top score, of 58, which Wisden pronounced ‘a capital display when the drying pitch assisted the bowlers appreciably’, before a brace of fifties, for the first of which he had to struggle against good bowling on an awkward wicket, materially helped towards victory at Oxford. 222 A week later in making 70 he enabled Leicestershire, with help from Bradshaw, to win a match with Sussex that could well have been lost. Although the match at Cardiff on 1 and 2 June finished a day early in a comfortable victory for Leicestershire by an innings and seven runs, the only appreciable difference between the two sides was the batting of Ewart Astill. After Glamorgan had been dismissed for a paltry 128, his team was 222 His first innings 54 was equal top score: his second innings 56 was second- best. Thus only one colleague scored more than Astill in five consecutive innings. The Leicestershire scorebook on the occasion of Astill’s highest first-class score – 164 v Glamorgan at Cardiff in June 1927