Lives in Cricket No 45 - Brief Candles 2

109 And we have not so far mentioned his finest batting achievement of all. 83 In three matches between 7 July and 19 July 1910, Alfred - now aged 50 - played successive innings of 209 not out for the Gentlemen of Radnorshire against the Gentlemen of Herefordshire, then 52 for Herefordshire v A.W.Foster’s XI, and finally 131 for the Gentlemen of Herefordshire against the Gentlemen of Shropshire. His double-century was the first ever scored at the (then) new county ground on the racecourse at Hereford. It was described as a ‘delightful display of cutting and driving’ and included 21 fours; it only included two chances, one at slip when he was in the 20s, and the other at the wicket when he was past 200. His runs came out of a team score of 364 for three declared, made when following on 127 runs behind on first innings (Alfred had top scored with 20 in his side’s first innings), and which began with an opening partnership of 272 with Gloucestershire batsman Barnett 84 who made just 107. A batsman with such a pedigree, no matter what his age, naturally took the eye of H.K.Foster when, as was the way with certain gentlemen of the day, they were putting together sides for friendly matches. In August 1906 they had played together for a side now generally known as Stoke Edith (though P.H.Foley’s eleven might be a fairer title) against the Gentlemen of Holland on the ground on Foley’s estate. The home team included R.E.Foster as well as H.K., and also three other members of the Worcestershire eleven 83 It should be noted that in his earlier seasons he was also an occasional bowler who took a fair number of wickets, and also an occasional wicketkeeper who made a fair number of stumpings, 84 Reports in local newspapers named his fellow-opener as R.P.Barnett, while the report in Cricket names him as C.P.Barnett. No-one bearing either of these names played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire around this time, though C.S.Barnett, E.P.Barnett and P.P.Barnett all did so. Brotherly love: Telegram sent by Alfred’s younger brother Whitmore following his double-century in July 1910. The oldest of them all