Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

was blossoming into a fine bat; Henry Martyn retired due to business commitments. In 1906 he had become the first Somerset wicket-keeper to score 1,000 runs in a season. Somerset could not afford the loss of a fine batsman and a high quality wicket- keeper. In the Taunton Courier on April 3, it was stated that the prospects of a good season for Somerset were very bleak; sadly this would unfold over the season. Apart from captaining school, and two seasons when at Oxford, Lionel had not captained any side. In addition he had only played a few first class games since 1904 and very little minor cricket. It would be a test of not only his captaincy, but also whether he had retained enough of his skill to be able to lead from the front. In hindsight it was asking a lot of him. To make the matter harder, he played no minor cricket and relied on net practice only; this was not to work. The reason was probably that he still had to keep up to his duties for the earl when not playing for Somerset. The first game of the season was at Taunton against Yorkshire, starting on May 9. Not surprisingly Somerset went down by nine wickets. Len Braund though carried his bat for 42 out of 113 in the second innings. In his first game as captain Lionel made 17 and one. The team then travelled to Tonbridge to play Kent. Winning the toss Lionel opened with Braund in dull and rather chilly weather. The side made a terrible start losing Braund and Lewis to successive balls from Arthur Fielder, who should have had a hat-trick but Bill Montgomery was dropped by the keeper Fred Huish. Despite this Lionel seemed to find his old form as he drove and cut well. He reached his 50 in seventy minutes, with the score 71 for four. He held the side together and at lunch was still in with the score 161 for eight. He completed his hundred in two hours and 15 minutes, and was last out for 116, having hit 16 fours, out of only 192. Little did he know it but this was the last of his 27 first-class centuries, and he would not pass 50 again for the next 25 innings. Somerset then bowled Kent out for 131 to gain a lead of 61, but going in a second time the team was routed by Fielder and Blythe for 72. Kent easily knocked the runs off for the loss of only two wickets. The next game at Lord’s went down in history. Albert Trott the faithful Australian professional had chosen the game for Captain of Somerset, and the Earl of Devon 98