Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

47 ‘look after him’. During a heat wave in August, Frank received a telegram from Pearl Allen asking him to make sure that her son was wearing a hat. No doubt Frank found a suitable head-covering for his protégé when necessary, but he would have asked for it to be removed while Gubby was bowling the 120 overs required from him during the nine matches, and grateful for the fifteen wickets taken in the process. August began with victory at Hove but the rest of the month was a disaster, with only one win in six matches despite the return of Twining and Skeet and double-centuries from both Hearne and Hendren, and Middlesex finished seventh in the table. Frank himself had not made much of a contribution with the bat that season. Apart from the century at Leyton another four half-centuries were the best he could manage for the county. One was a characteristic, match-winning attempt at Lord’s against Essex in May when he joined Lee at 85 for one, needing another 197 to win on the last day and hit 97 runs out of 144 while wickets fell around him. But he was caught going for another boundary and frustrated by seeing Middlesex finish with two wickets in hand but 23 runs short of victory. His most prolific batting was saved for the Gentlemen versus Players matches at Lord’s in July and during the Scarborough Festival in September. At Lord’s he scored 60 during a fifth-wicket stand of 147 in under two hours with Percy Chapman, and at Scarborough he hit 82 in the first innings and then enjoyed another stand with Chapman in the second innings, this time 149 for the sixth wicket while Frank completed his century including hitting five sixes. A New Captain for England A sixer climbs the sky … almost. Frank, at Lord’s, leading Middlesex against Kent in 1922. This drive had him caught in the deep by G.J.Bryan off H.T.W.Hardinge for 37.