Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

103 Captaincy Decisions day Jim Swanton wrote in the Daily Telegraph that: Mann’s name had not been much mentioned since he had indicated the difficulties with which he was surrounded on his return from South Africa. Nevertheless his non-acceptance is a blow to many who, knowing what an unqualified success he had made of his captaincy there, saw in him the man with the prestige and strength to acquit himself equally creditably in a more taxing adventure. In an interview with Frank Rostron of the Daily Express , George explained further: ‘There was never really a chance that I could accept, tempting as I found the attraction personally, and much as I would have liked to help the MCC out if I was really needed.’ He went to say that he thought the time had come to pick a professional to skipper MCC for the first time, telling Rostron that: ‘I have long thought that the only test should be a man’s qualifications. Nobody suggests all amateurs have them, or that all professionals lack them. There is probably a much greater body of opinion in high places that thinks as I do than people imagine.’ Rostron agreed that, in the entire absence of suitable amateur candidates, the time was certainly overdue for the immediate announcement of the appointment of a professional but ‘there is a big “resistance movement” in the Long Room at Lord’s to the last stages of this evolution. The happenings of the last 72 hours threaten to make a laughing-stock of England’s tradition-ridden cricket legislators, particularly in Australia.’ The MCC sub-committee in charge of the arrangements for the tour called another meeting to appoint a new nominee and now looked for the ‘third- best’ amateur. Once more they turned to Freddie Brown, asking him to replace Yardley as captain in the Gentlemen versus Players match at Lord’s immediately after the Third Test. Brown’s century plus a demonstration of his inspiring captaincy skills secured his place as captain for the last Test and the Ashes tour to follow. The doctrine of the amateur captain was not quite dead and Brown’s performance in Australia, winning the last Test although failing to regain the Ashes, was enough, in the opinion of MCC, to justify their decision. Middlesex played under seven different captains in 1950 – five amateurs, Robins, Allen, Edrich, Dewes and George, and, a sign of things to come, two professionals, Denis Compton and Sims. Middlesex dropped to fourteenth in the table. George did not play again after June but was able to accept an invitation to play for an MCC XI against Ireland and take Margaret to experience the delights of Dublin in September. Winchmore Hill Cricket Club celebrated its 70th anniversary in 1950 with a dinner and dance at the Café Royal. Both Frank and George were vice- presidents of the Club, which had continued to keep a close connection with Middlesex and allocated matches to support the Laurie Gray Benefit Fund in 1948 and the Denis Compton Benefit Fund in 1949, when Walter Robins had brought the full county side to the Paulin Ground. They would do the same for the Jack Robertson Benefit Fund in 1951.