Lives in Cricket No 42 - Frank and George Mann

84 Post-War Gloom and a Glorious Summer their final thirteen matches. Ten of those matches were won, four by an innings, and only two lost, but they finished runners-up yet again, twelve points behind Yorkshire. John Pelham’s main contribution had been some outstanding fielding which included taking 13 vital catches, and he had been consistent with the bat, scoring 345 runs at an average of 18.15, including 77 against Warwickshire. He also managed to fit in his first two- day match for Jim Swanton’s ‘Arabs’ at Hampstead against a Cambridge University XI and scored an unbeaten 102. George Mann was fit again and ready to return to cricket in the spring of 1947 and was welcomed back into the county team by his father Frank who was now the new president of the Middlesex club. Despite not having captained a Middlesex eleven since August 1939, when, in Peebles’ absence, he had led them to a convincing victory over Warwickshire by 200 runs, George immediately welcomed the opportunity to take on the captaincy when he learned that business commitments prevented Walter Robins from playing in the first four matches. George had no doubts about the huge task he was taking on: Robbie was a dynamic leader. He had the belief that you should never stop trying to win a game until there was absolutely no more chance. Perhaps he went to extremes at times, but it was an attitude that, happily, was passed on to me and to all Middlesex captains that have followed him. I was inexperienced and not as good as those whom I had to tell what to do, but they made it easy for me, and we had fun. The first match of the season was at Lord’s against Somerset. George was welcomed back into the team by six Middlesex players who had played in his last match seven years before, namely Jack Robertson, Syd Brown, Bill Edrich, Denis Compton, Jim Sims and Laurie Gray. Somerset’s reply to the Middlesex first innings of 231 was only 134 and it looked a good opportunity for Middlesex to pile on some runs and look to an early declaration. To everyone’s surprise, Middlesex collapsed for 78 in their second innings, but victory looked on the cards with Somerset 101 for five at the end of the second day. The next morning two more wickets fell quickly, leaving Somerset still 63 short with only three wickets in hand, but they continued to resist and another 38 runs were added before the last two batsmen, Maurice Tremlett – on his county debut – and Hazell, came together needing another 27 runs to win. With George ringing the changes between Jack Young, three for 48 from 34 overs, Gray, three for 51 from 30 overs, and Edrich, three for 47 from 22 overs, Tremlett and Hazell defended magnificently while prodding and poking the singles required. George was disappointed to have started the next phase of his cricket career with a defeat, but he rallied the players and Middlesex won their next three matches, two by an innings and the other by 234 runs. Robins was back in charge for the traditional Whitsun Bank Holiday match against Sussex at Lord’s and he continued the winning streak with a ten-wicket victory. The match was played in glorious sunshine throughout and that weather spread across England as record crowds swarmed into cricket