Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

63 The Search for Test Players: 1923 squad in South Africa the previous winter, three of whom had made their Test debuts in that series, Kennedy, Gilligan and Carr, who captained the North, and the uncapped players Tate, Chapman, Sutcliffe and Kilner. Dales took over the reins at Lord’s against Gloucestershire and he steered Middlesex to their latest victory after two defeats and a draw. This was immediately followed by another victory over Somerset with Frank back in charge, thanks to Hearne’s match figures of twelve for 182 and a stand of 200 for the third wicket between Dales, who made 143, and Hendren, who scored 185. But centuries from Hendren and Hearne, plus a half- century from Frank, failed to save Middlesex from defeat by Lancashire. Fortunately, Middlesex had no fixtures when Frank was called upon to captain the Gentlemen against the Players at Lord’s and The Oval, but this longer break from county cricket seemed to have been just what he needed because when he returned he was in sparkling form. He hit 84 against Hampshire, 53 against Scotland in Edinburgh, 79 and an unbeaten 56 against Kent, and 89 against Nottinghamshire, including a fourth-wicket stand of 183 with Hendren who was unbeaten on 146. But the outstanding innings of this rich period was 122 in 140 minutes against Essex, including two sixes and 14 fours, when sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 256 with Hendren, unbeaten on 200. Unfortunately Middlesex failed to take any benefit from Frank’s improvement in form during that sequence of seven games, during which they lost Hearne for the rest of the season after he retired hurt while batting at Hove against Sussex, and could win only one against Kent and draw four others. The victory at Canterbury was due to a piece of inspired captaincy from Frank. The home team made 445 in their first innings and Middlesex replied with 457, so the match seemed to be heading for a draw after Kent had lost some early wickets but were then holding up the Middlesex bowlers from making another breakthrough. For no reason that anyone could fathom, Frank suddenly tossed the ball to J.L.Guise as his fourth bowling change, who proceeded to take four wickets for nine runs from 25 balls, and Middlesex just had enough time to knock off the 148 runs needed to win. Frank had to drop out of the next match, at Cheltenham, in order to take his place as captain of England against the Rest at Lord’s in the second trial arranged by the selectors. This time there were seven members of his South African touring side in the line-up, four of whom had made their Test debuts that winter, Macaulay, Stevens, Gilligan and Carr, who captained The Rest, as well as the uncapped Sutcliffe, Chapman and Geary. So Nigel Haig took over as Middlesex captain against Gloucestershire and led them to an eight-wicket victory. Returning to captain Middlesex for the final three matches, Frank was unable to achieve any more outstanding performances in the sequence of one win, one draw and one defeat and Middlesex finished in eighth place in the Championship table, their worst position since 1919, having played 22, won seven and lost seven. But there were some good times to follow in three matches at the Scarborough Festival although not many runs to show for the visit for Frank. Then it was back to more serious business when he was asked to captain the Rest of England against Yorkshire, the champion county, at The Oval,