Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

34 Warner and his ‘Sandbank’ Thanks to a fourth-wicket stand of 172 between Hendren and Warner Middlesex ended the first day all out for 379. At the end of the second day Kent were all out for 232 and Middlesex were 236 for five with a commanding lead of 382. Warner declared early on the third morning and gave Kent the rest of the day to attempt to reach 416. Thanks to some heroic spells of bowling 30 overs for 74 runs Durston tore the heart out of the Kent batting by taking five wickets. After Lancashire beat Essex and Surrey beat Northamptonshire, the penultimate reckoning of points and percentages revealed that with the final matches to be played the Championship would go to Lancashire if they beat Worcestershire and Middlesex lost to Surrey. But, and it was a big but, if Middlesex beat Surrey the title would be theirs, whatever the result at Old Trafford. The top three percentages now read: Middlesex 76.00, Lancashire 73.60, Surrey 71.82. The final Championship match, PelhamWarner’s last, started on 30 August and was an all-London affair, against Surrey at Lord’s. Gates closed at 3.15 pm on the first day with nearly 30,000 inside. Many sat twenty deep on the grass between ropes and the boundary fences and to ease pressure a double row was allowed to sit on the grass in front of the pavilion. Warner won the toss and three Middlesex wickets fell for 35 runs. Warner joined Hendren and they tried to avert a crisis but Hendren was out at 88 for four. Mann could not open his powerful shoulders to any effect and frustrations induced him to choose the wrong ball from Fender to drive: he was caught and bowled for 12. At tea Middlesex were 149 for six. Ninety minutes later Stevens and Warner had added 89, thanks to a range of attacking strokes from Stevens after being dropped at slip by Fender. By the end of play Middlesex had reached 253 for eight. Warner had batted from 1.05 pm to 6.30 pm and was 70 not out but even so he was criticised for the funereal progress. Warner went early the next morning and Middlesex were all out for 268. Hobbs and Sandham saw off the opening bowling with ease but at 59 Hobbs mistimed Hearne and instead of going past mid off for four it lifted and went straight as a bullet to Frank Mann who never put chances like that on the floor. 18 Thanks to an unbeaten 167 from Sandham, Surrey had a lead of 73 and declared to give Middlesex a nasty 45 minutes before close of play but Skeet and Lee held on. 19 On the final morning there were dozens of letters, telegrams and notes accompanying bunches of heather in the dressing room, all wishing them good luck for the day ahead. Rising to the occasion, Lee and Skeet added 172 in two hours but after they were gone Middlesex still needed more runs if they were going to set Surrey over 200 to win and have time 18 In his notes on the season in the Middlesex official history, published in 1948, Nigel Haig remembered Mann’s fielding at mid off as ‘thankless and painful’. 19 The early Surrey declaration meant that Middlesex bowler Jack Durston was able to dash across London to take his place in goal for Brentford playing in their first home game, against Millwall, in the Third Division of the newly expanded Football League. He kept a clean sheet. Brentford had actually released him from his contract to play in the match at Lord’s and their second-choice goalkeeper had stood in for him in the match away to Exeter the previous Saturday.