Lives in Cricket No 46 - George Raikes

22 Raikes’ Progress: From ‘Iron Gloves’ to Allrounder ‘junior’ in status and a player with current first-class experience had no place in its eleven. Raikes’ team dismissed Norwich Union for just 55, with Pickard taking seven wickets, but when Wymondham were reduced to none for three an upset looked possible. However, Hill blocked patiently, if luckily, whilst Raikes went in for “terrific smiting” and “a brilliant display of hard hitting”. Thereafter, Wymondham went comfortably and only called a halt at 155 for seven when Raikes reached his ton. This left the Eastern Daily Press to splutter “a revision of rules will probably occur to prevent county players turning out in the Junior Cup.” The modern term is, I think, ‘artificial strengthening.’ The press muttered on about the final being a certainty, failing to observe that Wymondham would be facing a strong Swaffham side who had defeated Holt by 198 runs in the other semi-final. As it turned out, Swaffham, batting first, managed to score 119 (despite Raikes taking eight for 57) and, once Raikes was the first batsman to fall for just 31, Wymondham folded ineptly for just 106. The Eastern Daily Press printed “Well done, Swaffham!”; most people were happy to see Swaffham win and the situation was largely diffused (note 7) . George Raikes was unable to carry his form for Norfolk in the summer of 1893 into the following year. His batting average dropped by more than a half and, though he captured 11 wickets, it was not as a bowler that he was required as the professionals, Tom Morley and Charlie Shore, bagged 111 wickets between them. He represented Norfolk in their early season ‘social’ friendly against the Cambridge University Quidnuncs, taking his only significant ‘bag’ of the season (four for 44) and did not return until the Varsity term was over. Even then he could only manage one innings of significance, a knock of 75 against Hertfordshire at Lakenham. The press makes clear that it was another of his stonewall innings: “after being let off twice early in his innings [he] settled down to a superb game, and showed a splendid mastery over all the bowling he had to face … at first … exceeding slow … continued his watchful game.” Largely as a result of Raikes’ innings, Norfolk claimed a first-innings lead of 41, but Hertfordshire easily played out for a draw. Although he failed to take a wicket, Raikes bowled a hostile spell: “The Oxonian’s bowling got up most unpleasantly, and the batsmen had a great deal of luck.” Having done his duty by playing for Thorpe in George Rye’s benefit match, Raikes had time to play in a couple of ‘country house’ games for the Suffolk Borderers before returning to Oxford and his first cricketing ‘Blue’. In two two-innings matches, both Gunton and the Billingford Incapables went down to defeat. The former were beaten by eight wickets (Raikes making 42 and 25 not out, and taking seven wickets in Gunton’s first innings) whilst the latter did slightly better, the margin of their defeat being just 33 runs (Raikes made 17 and 34 with details of the bowling unavailable). As will be described below, a tendency to enjoy being ‘a large fish in a small pond’ in friendly games was spotted more than once in George Raikes’ cricket career.