Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

were having a bad season and were only mid-table. Having already beaten them heavily at the Oval, Somerset were confident of achieving the double. Batting first Somerset owed their score of 221 to Lionel who made 83 in two hours and ten minutes, being fifth out at 135. With the wicket being very soft on top it was a fine innings, marred by only one chance off Lees when seven. When Surrey commenced their innings, Ted Tyler during his second over was no-balled for throwing by Jim Phillips. Woods took him off, and he only bowled one more ball in the match as he came back at the end of the innings to dismiss Tom Richardson and close the Surrey innings for 281. This effectively finished Tyler as bowler, though with a remodelled action he did make a minor comeback in 1907, when the team was in disarray and really struggling for bowlers. Like several other cricketers of the time it was a sad way to end a career. Tyler had been one of the main reasons for Somerset gaining first-class status, and was the main bowler during the side’s first decade in the Championship. Thanks to a brilliant hundred by Woods in the second innings and Cranfield’s match figures of 12 for 118, Somerset duly completed the double over Surrey, winning a close match by 26 runs. Somerset had finished the season with four wins and were placed eleventh in the Championship. Prospects for the team appeared to be good. New bowlers were coming to the fore in Cranfield and Gill, Robson had a good all round season, Albert Lewis promised to be a useful addition and hopes were high for Bernard; and Somerset could look forward to Braund being able to play next season. Lionel was back in the side, playing in most of the games, and after a poor start still managed to score 947 runs at 35.07. He and Woods still formed the main engine room of the side. Hopes then were high for 1901 and continued improvement. In the winter, Lionel attended a number of foxhound meetings. His first cricket game of the 1901 season took place at Taunton on April 27, when he played in the first match for the Somerset Stragglers against Taunton. The Stragglers were a team founded by Rev EP Spurway, who had played twice for the county. The A new century and 1901 67