Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

with and against many first class cricketers. In December his uncle Lionel Oliver Bigg died, and in his will left Lionel and his siblings £2,500 each (the equivalent of £280,000 in 2016). This is a sizeable sum and clearly would set Lionel up in life. By 1888, Lionel was made captain of the school eleven. New players to join his team were his younger brother Richard and CB Fry. Charles Fry was two years Lionel’s junior, but he was already a great all-round sportsman and would go on to play 26 Tests for England. Fry was a rival at school for Lionel and he was brilliant athlete and later became a politician, writer, teacher and publisher and he also played in an FA Cup final. He would also follow Lionel to Oxford, and they played in many cricket and football teams together. A picture of the school team taken in 1888 shows the young Fry and Palairet brothers. Lionel sitting front centre gives the air of authority above his team mates. Sadly Lionel’s batting did not advance as he would have expected during the year: he made only 345 runs at 26.53, he did not top the school averages, and made only one 50; 51 against Derbyshire Friars. His lobs were useful on occasions as he took 12 wickets at 17 apiece. During the summer break he returned to the county; playing for the Old Reptonians against Buxton, he made a solid 74. It was this year that he first played at Westbury in Wiltshire on WH Laverton’s ground, and it was here that he would meet his future wife Caroline. Playing for Laverton’s eleven against OG Radcliffe’s eleven he was bowled by WG Grace for two but in the second innings batting at seven, he carried out his bat for a useful 29. However his team lost by eight wickets. Another important game for Lionel that year was turning out for the MCC against Lansdown in late August. Lionel opened with the great batsman William Gunn (Nottinghamshire and England), and made only 12, but he will have enjoyed playing in the same side as William Attewell (also Nottinghamshire and England) and FJ Shacklock (Nottinghamshire). While he was developing his batting his father was paying professionals such as Attewell and Fred Martin (Kent) to bowl at his sons and help develop them as cricketers. Lionel had a much better record in 1889, his last year at Repton, Early life and Repton 15