A History of Cricket at King Edward's School, BIrmingham

46 again the most successful batsman. He made 377 runs this year and Pardoe made 302 – the first time the 300-run mark had been exceeded since TG Freeman in 1938. Homer, Hobbs, Hutchings and a young newcomer called PA Gough all made useful contribution down the order, as did wicket-keeper JR Charlesworth. Against Warwick School at the County Ground, the two hundred was exceeded for the first time since 1935, Harrison making 58 and Hobbs 59; Warwick were dismissed for 119. Pardoe made 65 against Solihull (bringing KES victory by 31 runs) and Harrison made 50 against Combined KEGS, KES batting on after KEGS were bowled out for 52. Homer made 51 against Birmingham University A and Pardoe 73 against unknown opposition – as in 1947, not all the games were recorded in the Chronicle, and in some cases only summary scores exist, giving team totals but no individual performances. The other wins of which we have some details were produced by general all-round effort, rather than by individual performances by one or two players: this was true of the three- wicket win over Bromsgrove and the two-wicket defeat of Ellesmere College. KES came within an ace of another win, failing by one run to draw level with Ratcliffe’s total of 122 for eight declared. Several other games were fairly close, and apparently might have been won but for lapses in the field. JR Charlesworth was appointed captain for 1949, but had to resign the post halfway through the season owing to examinations, and AJ Homer took his place. The side won eight matches, losing only one. In the second match of the season, the School scored 180 for four (PA Gough 55) and then dismissed Ratcliffe for 60. P Hutchings (4 for 12) took the early wickets, and FB Revill, an off-spinner, who came on to bowl when the score was 50 for six, took four wickets for no runs in ten balls, including a hat-trick. After the match, the captain told the Birmingham Post that this was the first hat-trick since 1882 - though in fact there had been others in 1897, 1935, 1937 and 1944. This gave rise to some correspondence in the Chronicle, under the heading ‘The Revill controversy’. The first letter was the one from GA Stark mentioned earlier, referring to a hat-trick by GIA Taylor against Repton in 1940. JR Charlesworth wrote a letter in reply, saying that there was no mention of this match, or Taylor’s achievement, in the Chronicle. Nor is there any other record of this match. Charlesworth had conducted a considerable amount of research into School cricket records, and published his findings in the same number of the Chronicle. The 1949 eleven proceeded to win another seven matches; in the only match lost, against Ellesmere, the School dropped five catches, and the result would have been different if these chances had been held. The main factor in these wins was strength in bowling. Lobb, who had by now become a swing bowler at above medium pace, took 6 for 13 to dismiss Repton Second XI for 57, and 5 for 15 in the next match against Bromsgrove, who fared little better. Hutchings took 6 for 18 as Malvern Second XI were all out for 42. Hutchings had another six wicket-haul in the drawn match against Denstone, plus five against Bedford Modern. More often, however, Hutchings, Lobb and Revill shared the wickets between them. Hutchings finished the season with 41 wickets, Lobb 45 and Revill 30. A young leg-break bowler, DH Benson, made a few appearances and took nine wickets. With such strong bowling, high totals were not necessary to win matches, but Homer made 422 runs (at an average of 42.20), Gough 258, and there were useful contributions from Charlesworth (opening the batting until called away by A-levels), IR McClelland, Hobbs,