Lives in Cricket No 8 - Ernest Hayes

Surrey re-engaged him as coach for 1931. But, no doubt with memories of his dismissal by Leicestershire, and perhaps as insurance against a time when he would no longer be coaching, he took over the Crown Hotel at Shepperton, to the west of London, as a prelude to his last port of call, the Paxton Arms in West Norwood. As we have seen, he had already had success in the hospitality business in Leicester. 1931 Surrey, led by Percy Fender, in his final season in the job – he was rather clumsily eased out of the captaincy after the season had ended – finished eighth in the Championship. The only new regular player brought into the side was Edward Sheffield, a fast-medium bowler, who was unable to keep a regular place in the side in subsequent years. It was the last season for Honor Oak on their Colyton Road ground, now acquired for building purposes. To help defray some of the costs of the move to the new ground on Dulwich Common, Hayes took a County XI along to play – and presumably appeared himself – in what, on 19 September, was probably the last game on the ground after 66 years there. No scoresheet has survived, but it Homecoming 110 Hayes coaching the younger generation at The Oval in the thirties.