Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

with Somerset finishing on 476 for six at close. Somerset narrowly held on for a draw against Kent, then looked forward to the game against the Australians at Taunton, from August 24. Sadly the game was ruined by weather with the third day being washed out. Batting first Somerset had reached 156 for five; Lionel made only six, before the weather curtailed play for the day. Overnight rain made the wicket difficult; Somerset closed for 219 then bowled the Australians out for 129, with Ernest Robson taking six for 22. However by the close Somerset had slumped to 49 for six, Lionel being bowled by McKibbin for a duck. Somerset at the close were 139 on with four wickets left. The final county game at Taunton saw Surrey beaten by nine wickets, Lionel’s 20 and 36 being useful. However the county slipped to eleventh in the championship winning only three of the 16 matches. The Championship was won by Yorkshire who were building a formidable team. Before the season drew to a close, Lionel accepted an invitation to play for CI Thornton’s eleven against the Australians at Scarborough, as part of the end of season festival. Opening the batting with Stanley Jackson, the pair put on 119 in 90 minutes with neither making a mistake; the stand eventually broken by George Giffen. Lionel had hit eight fours and the crowd cheered him off as he was dismissed, having made a fine 71. After the pair were separated Australia steadily took wickets and the innings closed for 294. In reply the Australians broke down badly in each innings as Bobby Peel took 12 for 96 in the match, the Australians going down by an innings and 38 runs. Lionel again had a fine season scoring 1,362 runs at 41.27. This put him eighth in the national averages. Wisden noted that ‘although he had a fine season and easily stood out as head and shoulders above his county colleagues he was not chosen to LCH playing forward Marriage, family, work and Somerset 52