Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

42 A New Captain for Middlesex Somerset. 24 A double-century from Hearne brought an innings victory over Warwickshire and then revenge against Kent at Lord’s brought them back on track for the Championship title after a fifth-wicket stand between Frank Mann and Hendren put on 136 runs in 90 minutes, taking them up to the target of 315 in four hours. Frank made 80 and according to Wisden , ‘he hit magnificently. He gave two or three chances but they were so hard that the fieldsmen could not be blamed for failing to hold them.’ But it had all come down to the last match at home to Surrey. Once again the pencils and rubbers were out and woe betide anyone who put a decimal point in the wrong place. If Middlesex won or drew they would be champions but if Surrey won the calculation of the percentages showed that Surrey would be champions with figures of 74.78 against Middlesex with 73.68. It was a repeat of the last match in 1920 with everything to play for. Percy Fender, in his first full season as Surrey captain, won the toss and decided to bat. Surrey made 269, thanks to a fourth-wicket stand of 144 between Shepherd (128) and Jardine (55). Middlesex reached 21 for the loss of Lee before close of play but were all out the next day soon after lunch for 132 despite Frank Mann’s top score of 29, trying to stem the tide. Then Surrey seemed to be putting the game out of reach at 115 for two to go 252 ahead but lost the next seven wickets for 69, with Haig wreaking havoc and ending with figures of five for 62. The Middlesex openers were still 24 In the latter match, Frank hit the famously steady Ernest Robson for two sixes into the Lord’s pavilion in his first innings of 43. The second, apparently still on the rise, pitched on the back of the last row but one of seats at the very top of the pavilion. Gerald Brodribb later offered the view that this was ‘potentially a far greater carry than Albert Trott’s famous hit which fell on the reverse slope of the pavilion roof. Frank Mann (left) leading out the Middlesex amateurs at Lord’s in their final Championship match of 1921. As in 1920, the home side won the match and the Championship. From the left the players are F.T.Mann, H.L.Dales, R.H.Twining, A.R.Tanner, N.E.Haig.