The Twelfth Man 2014

! 17 up%during%the%war,%and%a%suitable%field%and%a%team% were%not%back%in%business%until%the%late%1940s%when% Roy,%as%one%of%the%founder%members,%helped%to% organise%the%return%to%league%cricket,%prepare%the% pitches%and%play%in%the%team.%He%was%always%willing% to%help%–%the%characteristic%which%sums%up%his% Wombwell%career.%% He%was%the%club's%statistician,%who%would%help%out% with%the%umpiring%or%scoring%when%he%was%not%in% action%as%a%rightHhand%opening%batsman%with%a%well% organised%defence.%%“Hit%through%the%'V'”,%he%would% tell%young%players.%Most%of%Roy's%runs%came%behind% the%wicket%with%glances%between%square%and%fineHleg% and%by%opening%the%face%of%the%bat%rather%than% playing%the%more%conventional%cut%shots.%He%also% used%the%hook%shot,%but%scored%most%of%his%runs%in% front%of%the%wicket%by%placement%rather%than%fullH bloodied%drives.%He%was%a%steady%accumulator%of% runs,%who%never%gave%his%wicket%away%easily.%% He%was%an%occasional%purveyor%of%offHbreaks%and%legH breaks,%but%a%googly%is%not%remembered.%He%was%not% the%most%economical%of%bowlers,%but%he%picked%up% useful%wickets.%He%continued%playing%for%the%village% when%he%was%on%leave%from%his%National%Service%and% afterwards%when%he%worked%in%the%East%Riding.%He% also%played%for%the%National%and%Local%Government% Officers'%team%when%he%was%with%Beverley%Borough% Council.% Roy%also%was%an%enthusiastic%rugbyHunion%player,% who%after%leaving%school%played%for%Driffield.% He%moved%to%Barnsley%with%his%work,%and%he%may% have%doubted%whether%this%would%give%him%yet% another%cricket%interest.%He%is%known%to%have%derived% immense%pleasure%from%the%Wombwell%Cricket% Lovers’%Society%and%to%have%talked%about%it%constantly% to%his%friends.%He%had%also%been%a%speaker.%In% retirement%Roy%continued%to%stretch%himself,%gaining% first%a%BA%and%then%an%MA%degree%in%British%Military% History%at%Huddersfield%University.%% What%was%Roy's%finest%hour?% Malcolm%McKie%says:%“While%he%had% a%successful%working%life%and% achieved%two%wonderful%academic% achievements%after%he%had%retired,%I% still%suspect%getting%20%to%30%runs%on% some%of%the%notoriously%difficult% village%pitches%in%the%early%1950s% would%have%given%him%as%much% pleasure.”% I%say%Roy's%finest%hour%was%January% 2007,%when%he%was%central%to%that% little%group%who%gathered%cheekHbyH jowl%in%a%cramped%committee% room%and%resolved%to%save%the% Wombwell%Cricket%Lovers'% Society.%And%so%we%did.% I%was%deeply%touched%a%few%years%ago%when%I%had% told%him%that%I%was%doubtful%about%the%speaker%for%a% fortnight%hence%because%we%knew%the%chap%was% unwell,%and%we%were%looking%for%a%deputy.%Roy% simply%said:%“I%will%turn%up%anyway.%I%know%you%will% get%somebody.”%% Such%loyalty%was%beyond%price.% James(M.(Greenfield( North&Frodingham&CC&(circa&1950):&Our&late&treasurer,&Roy&Foster,&is&on&the&back&row,& far&right.&Malcom&McKie,&the&source&of&some&of&the&tribute&piece&to&Roy,&can&be&seen& on&the&front&row,&second&from&the&left&wearing&a&white&cap ! The&Barnsley&Chronicle’s&tribute&to&Roy !