Lives in Cricket No 46 - George Raikes

52 dropped at once as Oxford naturally chose to field a strong side against the Australians, who they nearly beat. Raikes was then recalled for the first fixture against the MCC, in which neither team could be described as more than ‘moderate’. With Oxford’s leading bowlers doing battle with the examiners, Raikes was given the ‘cherry’ but took only one wicket, that of Sammy Woods (who played Tests for Australia and who would go on to represent England), and, asked to bat in the tail, failed as Oxford lost by an innings. Alas, he had now blown his chances of obtaining a ‘Blue’; even the Eastern Daily Press was forced to admit that Raikes would have to wait until the next year. Wisden commented that “many public school cricketers of 1892 had gone up with great reputations … but of those only [H.D.G.] Leveson-Gower and [Gerry] Mordaunt succeeded in getting into the eleven.” As a doubtless disappointed Raikes returned to Norfolk to lick his wounds, Oxford surprised no-one by capitulating by 266 runs in the Varsity Match. 1894: Raikes Obtains the Coveted ‘Blue’ Having failed in both of his first-class matches in 1893, Raikes was obliged to turn out in some of the ‘trial matches’ in the next season. He failed to impress in the Seniors Match but, playing for the Next XVI against the XII, he returned the marvellous analysis of 34-15-45-5 as the opposition Playing Cricket At Oxford: A ‘Nearly’ Man The Magdalen College Cricket Team of 1893, George Raikes’ first season at Oxford. Standing (from left): H.A.Arkwright, G.B.Raikes, C.Headlam. Middle row (from left): R.W.Wickham, R.H.Raphael, B.N.Bosworth-Smith, W.Case. Front (from left): T.B.Case, A.J.Boger, H.D.G.Leveson-Gower, F.A.G.Leveson-Gower, K.J.M.Teesdale