Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

ball fromWalter Lees bowled him for 28. Facing 375 runs to win, Surrey again struggled against Tyler as he took seven for 77 and Somerset won by 224 runs. Sadly this form was not continued; Surrey would go onto finish second in the Championship. Lionel missed the next three games, all lost; he returned for the game against Kent at Blackheath starting on July 15. Although he made two starts (16 and 32) the county was heavily beaten again, this time by 213 runs. The next game was at Bath as Somerset entertained the visiting Philadelphians. Sadly Lionel was bowled for a duck, by JB King the great American all-rounder. The game was badly affected by the weather and in reply to Somerset’s 200, the Philadelphians could only progress to 171 for five. Business then kept Lionel out of the next two games. When he returned at Taunton against Middlesex on August 2, the county had lost six county games in a row, most of them by heavy margins. Electing to bat Middlesex put together a good score of 363, with Andrew Stoddart making 109. In reply Lionel made a ‘superior and stylish 72’ the Dundee Courier reported, which included eleven fours. Although Middlesex were bowled for 190 in their second innings, Somerset then collapsed to 72 for eight, with defeat looking certain, but resolute defence by Fowler, Porch and Tyler meant the county held on for a draw. Somerset’s poor run continued as Sussex beat them by nine wickets at Taunton; the sequence was broken with a good win by 80 runs in the return with Kent. Lionel (with 16 and 2) had a poor match. The next game against Gloucestershire was badly affected by rain and ended in a draw. Somerset then entertained Surrey and in completing the double over them denied Surrey the Championship. In a low-scoring game Somerset won by 66 runs. Lionel’s poor form continued as he made none and 18. The last Championship match was again badly affected by rain with only the Hampshire innings completed and Somerset only just starting their reply. Somerset again endured a poor season finishing eleventh; as in 1896 they won only three games. Wisden put Somerset’s failures down to indifferent batting. Lionel topped the averages with 593 runs at 29.65 but he missed half the season to business. No one else averaged over 25 in the Championship. Tyler and particularly Marriage, family, work and Somerset 54