Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

wicket down, Lionel played faultlessly for nearly three hours, and made 112, hitting 15 boundaries and with Woods (69) gave the team a chance of escaping with a draw. Surrey needed 153 in 105 minutes. Thanks to Bobby Abel and FC Holland, Surrey achieved their target with six minutes to spare. Lionel’s bowling figures in the second innings were 17-5-51-0. Despite not taking a wicket, the local paper ( Taunton Courier ) praised him for bowling his lobs with great skill. This was a little odd as of the main bowlers Tyler only bowled six overs and Gill none during the second innings. Lionel had not bowled in the first innings. Against Hampshire, Somerset after one innings each gained a lead of 115; at their second attempt Hampshire made 242 thanks largely to contributions from the lower order. Somerset though still needed only 128 runs for victory and would have expected to easily knock them off. Hampshire’s Edward Tate had other ideas as he bowled a brilliant spell, taking eight for 51 and giving his county a well-earned nine run victory. Lionel had a poor match with the bat, contributing only 11 and 3. Somerset’s next game was against local rivals Gloucestershire at Bristol. Winning the toss, in good weather Gloucestershire batted all day, reaching 431 for five with centuries for Walter Troup and CL Townsend. The following morning the home team raised the score to 505 before being all out. Despite such a big total, and remembering what recently happened against Hampshire, Lionel was not called upon to bowl. Lionel entered the Somerset reply at the fall of the second wicket. He immediately started to attack the bowling. However at the other end wickets fell steadily and the team slipped to 87 for six but then Fowler came in. The pair added 125 in 90 minutes before Fowler was bowled for a good 39. Lionel who brought his own hundred up with the score at 200, had batted only one hour and 55 minutes. He continued to bat well and with Daniell added 91 for the ninth wicket. However Somerset could not avert the follow-on as they were eventually dismissed for 319. Lionel had battled for three and a half hours for an unbeaten 179 which included 29 fours; he had given two chances at 45 and 134; but despite this, it had been a brilliant innings. On his return to the pavilion the Bristol faithful ‘heartily cheered his return’. Somerset went on to lose by an innings and Marriage, family, work and Somerset 58