Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

70 Northern Counties Rule: 1925 to 1928 morning at 66 for four and Bruce joined Hendren. The new partnership hit 154 in 95 minutes before Bruce was out at 220 for five and then Kidd went at 231 for six. Frank joined Hendren with Middlesex needing another 270 runs to win and in 195 minutes they took the score to 502 to win the match, with Hendren unbeaten on 206 and Frank on 101 which had included 15 fours. 33 Another unexpected win followed at Hove but involving much smaller figures. Sussex set Middlesex a target of 92 runs to win on the last day and no-one expected Middlesex to struggle – but struggle they did. Frank went to the wicket at 73 for seven and then two more wickets fell in quick succession. Last man Durston joined Frank with Middlesex needing 18 runs to win. It was a situation that always brought out the best in Frank and, rising to the occasion as usual, he hit 17 of the runs needed while Durston added a vital single. With the winning hit Frank also reached 10,000 runs in first-class cricket, although he was doubtless unaware of this. But that was not the last of Frank’s outstanding contributions that year. In the penultimate match of the season at Taunton, Somerset set Middlesex a target of 172 on the final day. Going in at fourth wicket down, with only 56 runs on the board, Frank steered Middlesex back into the game with 40 runs out of the next 113 scored for the loss of another five wickets. When Frank was out at 169 for nine, Middlesex needed six more runs to win and Durston, who had already achieved match figures of ten for 93, was joined by Harry Lee‘s younger brother Frank, playing in his second Championship match in his debut year, and together they saw Middlesex through to victory by one wicket. Middlesex were unbeaten in their first ten county matches in 1926, although Frank had been absent from the first two in May and another in June. In the third match, at Lord’s against Hampshire, he played another characteristic innings to save them from an innings defeat, going in at 82 for five, needing another 147 runs. He added another 115 runs with Hendren and had made 60 before the match ended a draw. Their eleventh Championship match, at Bradford, was won by Yorkshire by ten wickets. They could only draw seven of the next thirteen, winning three and losing three, but still finished in sixth place in the table. This was a year of the Australian tourists: Middlesex met them at the end of May and were in danger of following on until Stevens batted for five hours and twenty minutes for 149. When the eighth wicket fell Middlesex still needed another 75 runs when he was joined by Murrell and they added 76 to earn the draw. Stevens had scored 77 against the tourists a few weeks earlier, playing for MCC at Lord’s, and his form continued to earn him a place in the England team that finally recovered the Ashes at The Oval after 14 years. It was halfway through August that Frank played one of his greatest innings. With both Hendren and Stevens away on Test-match duty, and Hearne absent unwell, Middlesex introduced two young amateurs at Edgbaston, E.T.Killick, considered then to be the most promising public- 33 This has remained the highest fourth-innings total in the Championship.