Lives in Cricket No 45 - Brief Candles 2

15 So close Counties season proper, and so selection had to be based as much as anything on performances in 1935. And on that basis, Poole was finally, justifiably, in. So he became a first-class cricketer when the match against Oxford University began, when he took his place in an eleven that included only two of those who had played for the Minor Counties at Skegness the previous September. The match began badly for the Counties, who lost their first three wickets for 35, and their fourth at 56. Enter A.B.Poole; and exit again all too quickly, caught for a single sufficiently unmemorable for it not to be mentioned in any of the reports of the game that I have seen. The Times just describes his innings as ‘another failure’ on the way to the lunchtime score of 57 for five. Oxford’s attack contained no big-name bowlers, and the Counties were able to recover to an all-out score of 251. Despite their own top-order collapse (they were 42 for five at one point) the University eventually took a first-innings lead of 37, and the Minor Counties lost three second-innings wickets before clearing the arrears. Reconciling contemporary match reports, batsmen’s scores and the reported fall of wickets to establish precisely what happened next is pretty much impossible. All we know for certain is that Poole, who must have come in at number six or seven, was 61 not out at the close of play on the second day, batting with Edward Roberts (a slow-left-arm bowler from Hertfordshire) who at that point had contributed two runs to their unbroken stand of 11 for the ninth wicket. Overnight the Minor Counties were on 226 for eight, giving them a lead of 189. On the third morning, after a delayed start, and with bowlers handicapped by a wet ball, the Minor Counties added a further 68 runs in the first 30 minutes 7 . Roberts contributed 30, while number 11 William Smith of Wiltshire (brother of ‘Big Jim’ Smith of Middlesex and England) made four, while a bye and three leg-byes added a further four. The remaining 30 came from Poole, who was on 91 when Smith was caught behind, after a last wicket stand of just six. Not every number 11 can survive to see a well- set partner through to a landmark score, and sadly on this occasion Smith was one of those who couldn’t. But Poole’s innings, which lasted 140 minutes and included 14 fours, had potentially set up an interesting finish to the match. While describing the innings as ‘invaluable’, The Times suggested that it was far from faultless: ‘Poole did not give an actual chance, but several times he was beaten without the ball hitting the wickets.’ In truth, there must be very many scores of 90-plus about which the same comment could be made, especially if - as on the last morning in The Parks - the player concerned was in full-out attack mode. So we should not judge the quality or the merits of Poole’s innings by these words alone. On the other hand, the 7 This detail is taken from the report of the match in The Times. The Oxford Mail , on the other hand, says that 61 were added in the first half-hour, at which point the slow bowlers were introduced and the innings was quickly brought to an end. Take your pick!