Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

Somerset’s first Championship victory of the season. Somerset immediately travelled to Bristol to face Gloucestershire. Played on a soft wicket due to recent rain, the game started just after noon. Woods having won the toss sent in Lionel and Braund. Lionel was the only one who settled on the wicket; he made many fine drives and the total reached 50 at a run a minute. Lionel brought his own fifty up in an hour and a quarter. He was soon out for 61; he gave only one chance just before he was dismissed. After his departure at 93 for three, the innings fell away and the side made only 197. This total was more than enough for a substantial lead of 79, as Cranfield and Gill ran through Gloucestershire. Going in a second time with the wicket still not easy, Lionel carried on where he had left off. The press noted that his innings was marked with some ‘high hard drives’. Again he was the only player to master the conditions; he posted his second fifty of the match in one and three quarter hours. He eventually fell for 82 in two and a quarter hours, his chief hits being a six and eleven fours. Again after his dismissal the innings fell apart, the last six wickets falling for 55. However Gloucestershire, set 268 on a difficult wicket, thanks to Braund (seven for 70) never had the remotest chance, being all out for 139. Lionel was the only player in the match to score fifty, Wrathall’s 39 for Gloucestershire being the next best. Somerset then had a week’s break, preparing for the northern tour to play Lancashire andYorkshire. These two games would be talked about for years to come, but both for different reasons. The first game against Lancashire was eagerly awaited; Lancashire wanted revenge for their innings defeat only a fortnight earlier. The first day’s play though was overshadowed by the umpire Jim Phillips. The Manchester Courier takes up the story: ‘The spectators at Old Trafford yesterday had plenty of entertainment. The match promised to be interesting before a ball was bowled, but it proved sensational, within a few minutes of the start, and altogether the events of the day may be described as of history making character so far as county cricket is concerned. The sensation of the day was the attitude of Phillips, the umpire towards Mold. Winning the toss, A new century and 1901 72