Lives in Cricket No 46 - George Raikes

103 and Raikes duly stood down. His decision may have been influenced by the fact that he had played in eight Championship matches in each of the previous two years and the Duke of Portland might possibly have been expecting a more ‘hands-on’ chaplain. Norfolk reduced their fixture list from 12 to eight matches but Raikes was still able to play in three games towards the end of the season (note 8) . The first was against Suffolk, who were utterly inept whilst visiting Lakenham, being bowled out for 39 and 40 and losing by an innings and 165 runs. In the first innings, Raikes “had three victims for 15 and always had the batsmen in trouble.” Opening the batting he supported a cavalier Eric Fulcher, who was dismissed for 54 with the score on 89, and then went on to top-score with 58, finally being fourth out with the score at 166. His innings took 105 minutes and was reminiscent of some of his more watchful knocks for Norfolk, early in his career. Norfolk’s next visitors were Cambridgeshire, who also went down by an innings, despite first bowling Norfolk out for only 236. For once in this season Falconer failed to strike early and skipper Falcon turned to Raikes, who obliged by taking three quick wickets. Cambridgeshire captain Herbert Tebbutt then appeared to have ‘milked’ his bowling somewhat but Raikes had his revenge in the second innings when the visiting skipper unwisely left his ground, keeper Thurgar doing the needful. Raikes finished with an analysis of 9.1-2-33-4, these being his last Championship wickets. The last visitors for the Festival, Bedfordshire, found themselves required to play on a tricky wicket which necessitated watchful defence. Such defence was forthcoming from Raikes (who compiled a stubborn 39 in 84 minutes), Falcon (with 56) and Thurgar (with 34), but the rest contributed little as Norfolk were dismissed for 183. A measure of the pitch was demonstrated when Falconer, with figures of six for 20, dismissed Bedfordshire for just 64. Falcon declined to enforce the follow-on, presumably thinking that the Raikes’ Third Spell For Norfolk: The Championship Won Again Michael Falcon, who succeeded Raikes as captain of Norfolk at the start of the 1912 season and continued in office until 1946. His deeds on the field of play and the length of his service have tended to unfairly overshadow the record of George Raikes.