CRICKET.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 30 May 1914, Page 11

CRICKET.

The following particulars of the late R. E. Foster, who died last week, will be read with interest:

R. E. Poster, one of the greatest amateur batsmen of his time, was born in 1878, one of that astounding family of cricketers whose association with Worcestershire has caused that county to be known as "Fostershire." There were six cricketing brothers— R.E., H.K., G.N., F.S., W.L. (Major), and M.X.—and they all played for the County. R.E. was the finest cricketer, though not much better than HK., who for some years has been captain and one of the mainstays of the County eleven. T R. E. Foster learnt his cricket at Malvern, and earned his place in the Oxford eleven as a freshman. In 1899 he scored well for Worcestershire, making two separate, hundreds in one match, but it was not until 1900 that he jumped into the fiist f^ght of batsmen. Then a magnificent 171 in the University match, "Followed by 102 not out and 136 on his first appearance for the Gentlemen against the Players, set everybody talki»g about him. Next season he played brilliantly for his County, scoring 1957 runs, with an average of 54. Like all the Fosters, he played free, attractive cricket. Wisden described him as having magnificent hitting powers all round the wicket. "Scarcely anyone, Ranjitsinhji excepted, hits with less apparent effort, his facility in this respect being due to the possession of wrists that must be marvels of strength and suppleness." The death is reported of Canon Me Cormick; of St. James' Church, Piccadilly, at the age of 80. The deceased was a fine all-round athlete in his yo\ing days, and a Cambridge "treble blue," rowing in the winning boat against Oxford in 1856, captaining the cricket eleven, and having the best bowling average (nine runs per wicket) in England in the same year. He was a great boxer. He beat the famous Nat Laugbam, who is said to have been the only man to beat Tom Savers.

A new bowler is making a sensation at Home in the person of Barratt, who is only 21 years of age, and made a remarkable debut as a fast bowler for Notts, taking eight wickets for 91 runs in the first innings of M.C.C.