Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

speed and skill of passing the ball. Having looked at both careers I would say that Richard was the better player. Sadly Richard would have his knee shattered in a tackle in 1893. This injury not only finished his football career at 22, but took a year for him to recover from and as a result it restricted his movement at the crease when batting. Although Richard would probably have never emulated his brother, it seems from reports at the time, and after his retirement, that the injury hampered his career and stopped development in first class cricket. Over the next few months. Lionel continued to play for Bath at the weekends, stopping with a relative at Norton St Philip. As the football season ended Lionel looked forward to 1890 and the prospect of making the university team and his first class debut. The local press in April looked at the prospects of the team and were not too optimistic, citing weak batting. They did however comment that Lionel should make a useful bowler with his lobs. Lionel played a number of freshman and college games before the first fixture against the touringAustralians, due early at Oxford. For Oriel he made an unbeaten 107 and 56 against Blackheath. He took eight for 37 for WN Cobbold’s eleven versus Barton Brewers. Playing in the last college freshman’s match he took seven wickets against the first eleven in the second innings. It is likely that his bowling achievements resulted in his selection to play against the Australians starting on May 20 at Oxford. The university was not thought to be that strong at the time, the best player being Ernest Smith, a capable all-rounder who played for a number of teams including Yorkshire, and who would make his final first class appearance as late as 1928. Also in the side was Malcolm Jardine, a batsman, whose son Douglas would later captain England on the infamous Bodyline tour. This was co-managed by Plum Warner and Lionel’s brother Richard. Like Lionel, Jardine would be famous for wearing a Harlequin cap when batting. Other key Oxford players included batsman George Wilson, an Australian by birth who would also play for Sussex. He was Lionel’s best man at his wedding. The pair would lose touch as George would later return to his native country. The game was played in poor weather throughout, windy, cold University and plenty of sport 19