Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

424 (with a six and 62 fours), and the side was eventually all out for 801. Lionel had the best figures of four for 133; poor Ted Tyler’s combined analysis for these two games was six for 427 off 119.3 overs. Not surprisingly Somerset made little fight of the game, losing by an innings and 452; this remains the club’s heaviest defeat. MacLaren’s record score in England was not beaten until Brian Lara’s undefeated 501 for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994. These defeats kept the club firmly at the bottom of the Championship. This run continued with defeats to Yorkshire and Kent; Lionel was missing for both. However the month of August would see the club fortune’s change dramatically. The run started with the arrival of Middlesex to the county ground onAugust 5. Back in the team Lionel played a remarkable innings. He reached his fifty out of 65 minutes and his century out of 155 in 115 minutes. He batted altogether for 140 minutes and carried his bat through the innings for 113 out of 172. He scored 17 fours and batted in almost faultless style, his only chance being just before the innings was closed. Due to the weather the game was unfinished but at least the run of defeats was halted. In the next game against Sussex, again at Taunton, Lionel produced another fine display hitting up 91 out of a total of 220 as the county romped home by ten wickets. It was also a personal triumph for Tyler who had match figures of 15 for 95. Somerset then beat Kent by seven wickets with useful knocks of 44 and 59 from Lionel. The county then entertained Surrey, the eventual champions for the fifth time in six years. Lionel top scored in the first innings making 64 as the county struggled to 168. Tyler then took all ten Surrey wickets for 49, as Somerset gained a first innings lead of 29. In the second innings Lionel (26) and Fowler put on 66 for the first wicket; however, after they were separated Tom Richardson took seven for 67 as the county slumped to 141 all out. Surrey only required 171 to win, but fine bowling and poor running (there were three run outs) saw them fall short by 53 runs. Yorkshire then visited Taunton and in a close contest the southern county triumphed again. Facing a first innings deficit of 61, Lionel then played one of his best ever innings for the county Marriage, family, work and Somerset 48