Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

20 matches. Wisden described Somerset’s season in two words: ‘a disaster’. Lionel by the year end was building links with Devon County Cricket Club, attending meetings which discussed the possibility of inviting the Australians to play a game in the county. However due to the cost of the game, and the likelihood the county would lose money, it was decided not to follow up. The actual vote ended 9-9 with the chairman casting the deciding vote. Lionel was very much in favour of the visit. By November, there is the first record of Lionel playing in golf tournaments. From then until his death he appeared in various tournaments; friendly club matches; and ultimately for his new county, Devon. He played most of his golf for The Warren Club, which still exists in the Devon seaside town of Dawlish. In December, it was on this course that he tied for first with CF Titjen in the club’s Monthly Medal Cup, out of 21 entries. His handicap at this point was nine. By 1909, there are records of tournaments he entered at least every month. In July he again tied for first with CF Titjen; by now his handicap had dropped to six. By the end of the year he was also entering open tournaments, playing doubles, and mixed doubles with his wife. He also started playing for Warren against other golf clubs in friendly matches; this meant a game of singles and foursomes. In his first recorded game Warren beat Churchston 10-2 with Lionel winning both games. As a result of playing golf nearly each weekend he played little cricket. There are no records of him playing any minor matches, though he did have two more matches for Somerset. Sadly he failed to make double figures in any game. In his final match against Kent he made one, and three run out, a sad way to end such a distinguished career. By now though Lionel was clearly concentrating on his golf; he would only play a little country house cricket. By the end of 1910, his handicap was down to one, and he won two more tournaments at Warren. It was this year that the Palairet Cup was played for at Warren each year. The winner of this cup was deemed the Devon amateur champion; the cup is still played for annually. Lionel would occasionally play in the competition. His cricket was limited to only four matches, and his only innings Devon, golf and the War 104