Lives in Cricket No 36 - WE Astill

136 The Last ‘Double’ and the Gentle Decline probably had he played for a county occupying a higher position in the Championship he would have achieved even greater distinction. Eddie Dawson put aside his business affairs to lead the county once more, but he had lost form as a batsman and was unable to inspire the team which, for the first time in its history, finished bottom alone in the table. 251 Yet all was not gloom as they won three matches, more than the three counties immediately above them, and comfortably defeated runners-up Sussex. Geary’s indisposition and later an injury seriously affected the team. Astill gave most support to Haydon Smith in the Championship, but his 80 wickets came at 29.96, his highest cost for 20 years. 252 (Perhaps he had difficulty recovering from an early season injury to his bowling arm that caused him to miss two Championship and one University match.) His batting showed an even greater falling-off: but for his single half-century and a remarkable undefeated century, his average would have been only 13.83. His great triumph came in mid August during the Cheltenham Festival. Coming in at No.8 he scored the single run that he needed to join the redoubtable trio of Grace, Hirst and Rhodes in making 20,000 runs and taking 2,000 wickets in first-class cricket, ahead of both Tate and Woolley. 251 The position had been shared with Somerset in 1898 and with Hampshire in 1903. 252 1919, when he played in only two games for the county, is ignored. A select group of Leicestershire players line up for a photograph at The Oval, possibly in 1933, (l to r): L.G.Berry, W.E.Astill, E.W.Dawson, A.W.Shipman, N.F.Armstrong, T.E.Sidwell.