Foster Harry Image 8 Worcestershire 1921

Description

Malvern, Worcestershire born Harry Foster was the oldest of seven brothers who all played cricket for Worcestershire. Harry was educated at Malvern College and Trinity College, Oxford University, and began his first class career with a University match against A.J. Webbe’s XI in May 1894. He won a Blue against Cambridge in each of the three seasons from 1894 to 1896. In the Varsity match of 1895, he scored 121 in two hours as Oxford, set a target of 331 to win, reached just 196 all out.

As a batsman, while forceful, Foster had a reputation as quite a master of style, and while essentially an off-side run-getter he could pull with great effect. Foster captained Worcestershire in the County’s very first Championship match in 1899 and for 11 of the first 12 season in which the County competed in the County Championship, leading the County every season until 1910, except for 1901.

He scored 1,000 runs in a season eight times, and five times averaged more than 40 runs per innings, his highest average being 48 in 1908. Among his 29 first class centuries, he hit 216 against Somerset in 1903, the first double hundred for Worcestershire in first class cricket, and 215 against Warwickshire in 1908, both at Worcester.

Unlike his brother R.E. “Tip” Foster, Harry Foster did not play Test cricket, but he led the amateur side in both Gentlemen v Players matches in 1910, appearing 6 times for The Gentlemen, and was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1911. He stood down as Worcestershire captain after 1910, but returned for the 1913 season. He then played intermittently until August 1925, when he played his last match against Middlesex before he finally retired.

In 289 first class matches, Foster scored 17,154 runs at an average of 34.10, scoring 29 centuries and 93 half centuries, and took 15 wickets with his occasional right-arm fast-medium bowling at an average of 29.60 apiece, with a best bowling performance of 3-63. He also took 208 catches in first class play.

In 1907, 1912 and again after the First World War in 1921, he acted as an England selector.

At racquets Foster carried off numerous honours. He and his brother Wilfrid won the Public Schools Championship for Malvern in 1892. In the next four years he represented Oxford and proved victorious in both Singles and Doubles. Several times, efficiently partnered, he carried off the Doubles Championship, and from 1894 to 1900 and again in 1904 he won the Singles Championship.

He was one of three of the Foster brothers to captain the County, with his other brothers Basil, Geoffrey, Maurice, Neville, Tip and Wilfrid, ‘Fostershire’ was a name jocularly applied to Worcestershire. Three nephews (Christopher Foster, Peter Foster and John Greenstock) and his brother-in-law William Greenstock also played first class cricket. On only two occasions did four of the brothers play in a first class match together. In both cases the brothers involved were Geoffrey, Harry, Tip and Wilfrid. The matches, both in August 1905, were against the Australians at Worcester and against Somerset at Taunton.