Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

away with a draw. Lionel made a useful 38 in the second innings. In a review of the season Lionel had made 1,343 runs at 31.97 and taken 30 wickets at 24.13. It was surprising that after his successes for the university, that Hewett hardly used his lobs for Somerset. In November he was again re-elected as captain of Oxford for 1893. The following month Somerset held the annual meeting at the London Hotel in Taunton. Despite a successful season on the field the club made a loss of £98 (£11,000 in 2016 money); reports of losses would become common leading up to 1914. At the meeting both he and Hewett were presented with miniature silver bats in recognition of their 346 partnership against Yorkshire. In addition the public could buy a postcard of the pair of them in front of the scoreboard which showed the opening stand. This photograph was taken well after the game and was purely for public sales. During the meeting Lionel was elected to the Somerset committee; his uncle Major Palairet was also on the committee. Although going back to his studies for his final year, Lionel was still playing football at the weekends, for Dorchester Town. The club was formed in 1880 and were to join the Dorset League in 1896. In March 1893 the press stated that William Attewell (of Nottinghamshire and England) was being employed solely by the Palairets to improve their batting. On April 8, Lionel as a footballer turned out for Dorset against Somerset, the match ended a draw, 0-0; Lionel’s brother was the referee. Before the university season, there were the usual freshman matches against the university eleven; these games were used not only as practice but to see what new talent was available. Lionel batted steadily in these games making two fifties and also taking wickets steadily. One game in particular, First Eleven versus Next Sixteen played on May 11 and 12 was worthy of mention. The First Eleven scored 533 and the Next Sixteen replied with 427. WH Brain who went in last for the First Eleven made 92. New players who were expected to do well included GJ Mordaunt, HDG Leveson- Gower, LCV Bathurst, GB Raikes and WH Brain; the batting looked stronger than the previous year. University and plenty of sport 36