Lives in Cricket No 44 - LCH Palairet

in each innings making 31 and 42. Somerset did have a better season winning four games and climbing to eleventh. Lionel also is recorded as playing golf at The Warren near his home in Kenton; but he would not compete yet for another two years. He did enter the Teignmouth Croquet Championships but lost in the third round. On December 1, he attended the Somerset AGM. The club news was bleak. Losses for the year had increased to £900 (£87,000 in 2016 money). Again guarantors picked up most of the losses and the balance would be covered by a fund-raising event to be held in the spring. The club passed a resolution to save costs; this would mean fewer professional players, and would compound the club’s weakness on the field. Lionel also raised the issue of the county not producing their own players and that the club needed to do something to help find and develop young players. As a result, the meeting agreed to set up a team called Somerset Juniors and the club would invite promising young players in the county to play in matches. All committee men were encouraged to go back to their districts and identify possible future players. As a result, up to the outbreak of the SecondWorldWar the Somerset Juniors would play a number of matches each season. Early players to be identified were William Greswell and Jack White. But it helped spot and develop many others; these included Reggie Ingle, Bunty Longrigg and Harold Gimblett. Sam Woods again resigned as captain. He was struggling physically but his contribution to the team was also negligible; he did not bowl any more and his batting average was less than 20; injuries were causing him to miss more and more games, he was heavier in weight and approaching 40. Lord Devon, a vice- president of the club, agreed to release Lionel for one year to stand in as captain for 1907 only. It was hoped that the club could get on a better financial footing, find a captain, and hopefully have some success on the field. It was also agreed to give Len Braund a benefit (which took place in 1908). The meeting closed with the knowledge that if the scale of losses continued for another season then the county would have to fold, the omens for Lionel’s captaincy for 1907 and the club did not look good. Before the season even started, Somerset lost a key player who Captain of Somerset, and the Earl of Devon 97