Searching through my cricket archives recently I came across the details of a match played at the beginning of the 1951 season at Edgbaston, Birmingham. This was a warm up game for Warwickshire in what was to be an eventful season as they went on to win the county championship.
The game was against a star studded Old England XI with many players whose best years were in the 1930s before World War II. The most notable performance of the day was a magnificent century by one of the oldest men on the field Donald Knight aged 56. 'Tiger' Smith the former Warwickshire wicket keeper, and by now the county coach, was probably the oldest at 65.
This was a one innings match which was quite a novelty in those days and although the overs were unlimited it was a predecessor of things to come in the future. Warwickshire fielded a few youngsters in contrast to their opponents and left out all their regular bowlers with the exception of Eric Hollies, who for the first time in his life was listed as high as number nine in the batting order on the scorecard. He was not called upon to bat but had been a number eleven for all of his career.
Warwickshire batted first and a young man recruited from Yorkshire, Norman Horner, was out for 2 bowled by Surrey veteran Alf Gover. His opening partner Jimmy Ord, who had played for the county before the war, stayed around long enough to prove the mainstay of the innings with a fine 117. Don Taylor, another newcomer from New Zealand made a useful 38 but county captain Tom Dollery would not have been too pleased to be dismissed by two of his former county colleagues. He was caught Smith bowled Paine for just 1.
Nevertheless Warwickshire declared with a useful 214-6 in 60.4 overs. Paine once of Warwickshire but now of Moseley in the Birmingham League was the best bowler with 16-4-56-2. Jim Sims another spinner still plying his trade with Middlesex was a bit more expensive but also took two wickets.
Warwickshire were trying out two young and eager fast bowlers Ray Carter and Jack Bannister. Carter started off brilliantly dismissing both openers for nought. Laurie Fishlock of Surrey was clean bowled and Jack O'Connor of Essex lbw. When Bannister removed Paine for 9 the score was 28-3 and everyone thought the game was going to be a walkover for the county side. A good partnership from former England captain R.E.S. Wyatt, now with Worcester, and the aforementioned Mr Knight of Surrey swung things back Old England's way with a stand of 67. Wyatt was the dominant partner but was out for 47.
At this point Knight took over and played the innings of the day racing to 112 with 18 fours and playing some splendid shots all round the wicket.
Donald Knight was born in Sutton, Surrey in May 1894 and played for the county while still at school at Malvern College. He won a blue at Oxford either side of the First World War and his best season was as far back as 1919 when he opened regularly with Jack Hobbs and scored over 1500 runs at average of 49 with nine centuries. In 1920 he was struck on the head by a ball and was never the same batsman again.
However in 1921 he was picked for two Tests against the Australians but made only 54 runs in four innings. He became master in charge of cricket at Westminster School in 1920 and thereafter only appeared occasionally for Surrey, retiring after the 1937 season.
Having discovered this after the match made his innings all the more surprising and to this day I remember it and the fluency of his batting. He was eventually clean bowled for 112 by the persistent Bannister, who of course was to make his name as a county professional, bookmaker, journalist and commentator in future years. In fact Bannister had a very good day finishing with 5-43 in what became a drawn match with Old England 206-8 when time was up.
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