Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

amateur club played their home grounds at Taunton until the 1970s, and still exists. The team often had many of the county’s amateurs playing for them; the club’s heyday was in the 1930s when over 70 fixtures were arranged in a season. For this first game a number of the top Somerset amateurs played, and attracted over 1,000 spectators. Batting first the Stragglers ran up 228 with Lionel top scoring with a faultless 123. The Taunton attack included Braund, Robson and Tyler, all county men. Taunton knocked the runs off easily with Braund replying with an unbeaten hundred. Lionel also took the first wicket for the Stragglers when he dismissed Sloman. This would be the start of his greatest season in county cricket and by the end of the season, the press would state he should be an automatic choice for England; he had the reputation of being one of England’s current greatest batsman. The county season started onMonday, May 13 at Taunton against Yorkshire. According to the Taunton Courier ‘the weather was dull and rather cool at noon’. The local press also commented that the home team had a strong eleven. After Somerset won the toss Lionel and Lewis opened in front of a small crowd. A big plus for the county was that Braund was now fully qualified to play and he would lift the Somerset batting and bowling. Lionel settled immediately and started to find the boundary with regularity. At 55 he was dropped at mid-off, the unlucky bowler being George Hirst. At lunch the score stood at 155 for one with Lionel unbeaten on 101. With Lewis he had added 103 for the first wicket. After the interval Lionel soon fell, bowled by Hirst for 103. He had batted two hours ten minutes, had hit a six into the churchyard (off Rhodes), and added 15 fours. After this, by consistent batting Somerset totalled 349. Yorkshire headed this by 42, which was to prove decisive. At their second attempt Somerset batted well for 281, with Sam Woods making a fine 90; Lionel had been going well until he hit a return catch back to Rhodes for 38. So in the final innings Yorkshire required 240; at 119 for six victory looked certain to go to Somerset, but Wainwright and Lord Hawke both made fifties. With the last pair needing two runs to win they just got home amidst great excitement. For the losers Braund made a great effort for his side, A new century and 1901 68