Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

Chapter four Marriage, family, work and Somerset Lionel started the 1894 season with a few minor games, his best being 72 playing for Sam Woods’s Bridgwater against Glastonbury. The county started the season with a heavy loss to Middlesex at Lord’s but then won a thrilling game at Hove by one wicket, Lionel not contributing much in either game. Somerset then travelled to Oxford to play the university. His brother and CB Fry were in the undergraduates’ side. After an innings apiece Somerset trailed by 131 runs, Lionel though had taken four for 49 and among his wickets was Fry. Batting a second time Lionel showed fine form, however early on the third day the side had slipped to 203 for seven, when JA Gibbs (75) helped Lionel add 129. Lionel was then dismissed for an excellent 181 in three hours 45 minutes, which included 24 fours. He and Gibbs saved the game. He took this form into the next county game at Canterbury against Kent; he made solid contributions of 60 and 61 as Somerset won a hard-fought game by three wickets. Sam Woods’ match figures of 12 for 172 were the most significant performance. Somerset then recorded an easy win over Gloucestershire. Lionel then played against the South Africans in a non-first class game and produced two fine innings 69 and 82, as Somerset easily beat the visitors by nine wickets. Lionel married Caroline Mabel Laverton at the parish church in Westbury. A number of newspapers gave a detailed account of the wedding, listed all the gifts and all who attended. There were several hundred guests, with many sirs and ladies named. After the wedding the couple caught a train from Westbury to Dunster in Somerset, for their honeymoon, a driving tour in Devon. After his honeymoon, Lionel returned to county cricket, for Somerset against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. Although the team lost a closely fought game by 21 runs, the match would be remembered for two innings: a brilliant unbeaten century by William Gunn but also Lionel’s 119. Set 224 to win, Lionel entered the chase at nine for two. He immediately went after the bowling; wickets though kept tumbling at the other end 43