Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

and the side was reduced to 99 for seven. He then found useful partners in Hill and Evans and the score reached 152 for nine, when last man Wickham joined him. Wickham was not known as a batsman, being known by his colleagues as ‘Snickham’. However he stayed whilst Lionel upped the tempo. The pair added 50 (Wickham made four), when it seemed possible that Somerset might win. However Lionel was given out lbw as he tried to turn a ball to leg. His faultless innings of three hours ten minutes included 12 fours. The next game against Lancashire was finished in a single day. Electing to bat on a damp wicket Somerset were bundled out for 31 in 50 minutes. Lancashire replied with 231 with Frank Sugg scoring 105 in 80 minutes. Somerset in reply made 132 largely due to Lionel’s 69 in 80 minutes. Mold though had the last say as he finished with match figures of 13 for 60. Moving from Manchester to Huddersfield for the fixture against Yorkshire, Somerset had the indignity of suffering another defeat within a day. Somerset’s combined two innings lasted less than three hours and Yorkshire’s 173 was enough for an innings victory. No other side has ever lost back to back county games in a day. The team’s fortunes did not improve until the visit of Kent at Taunton, on July 30. After Kent made Somerset follow on, Lionel top scored with 51 as Somerset made 230, setting the visitors 121 to win. Somerset skittled them for 83. This improved form continued as Sussex were well beaten by 110 runs, Lionel contributing a useful 58. The next four games produced two draws and two defeats with a runs of low scores by Lionel. The last county match produced another victory over Gloucestershire, by five wickets; Lionel again contributed little with the bat. Somerset won six and lost seven of their 16 games. This meant an improvement to sixth in the Championship. Lionel then played in a few minor matches, scoring 103 for Taunton against George Nichol’s Moonlight team at Taunton on September 6. Lionel had one more first-class match before the season was finished, as he was selected to represent the Gentlemen of the South against Players of the North at Lord’s from September 17. The game ended in a draw with Lionel being dismissed in each Marriage, family, work and Somerset 44