Tip Foster

Infobox Historic Cricketer


nationality = English
country = England
country abbrev = Eng
name = R. E. Foster
picture = Tip Foster.jpg
batting style = Right-handed batsman (RHB)
bowling style = Right arm fast
tests = 8
test runs = 602
test bat avg = 46.30
test 100s/50s = 1/1
test top score = 287
test balls = 0
test wickets = 0
test bowl avg = n/a
test 5s = 0
test 10s = 0
test best bowling = n/a
test catches/stumpings = 13/0
FCs = 139
FC runs = 9076
FC bat avg = 41.82
FC 100s/50s = 22/41
FC top score = 287
FC balls = 1616
FC wickets = 25
FC bowl avg = 46.12
FC 5s = 0
FC 10s = 0
FC best bowling = 3/54
FC catches/stumpings = 178/0
debut date = 11 December
debut year = 1903
last date = 21 August
last year = 1907
source = http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/PLAYERS/ENG/F/FOSTER_RE_01000273/

Reginald Erskine 'Tip' Foster (born 16 April 1878 in Malvern, Worcestershire, died 13 May 1914 in London) was an English cricketer and football player. He is the only man to have captained England at both sports. He was educated at Malvern College and University College, Oxford.

Cricket career

One of seven brothers who all played for Malvern and Worcestershire, Tip Foster began to play cricket for Oxford University in 1897. However, although he did fairly well, it was not until 1899 that his beautiful and immaculate driving to the off-side made him into one of the top batsmen of his time. He had played for Worcestershire while they were still a minor county but in 1899, their inaugural season as a first-class county, he and his brother W.L. Foster set a still unique record of both scoring two hundreds, in a match (against Hampshire). In 1900 he set the record for the highest individual score in the Varsity Match and scored a record double century for the Gentlemen against the Players at Lord's.

For these performances, Foster was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1901 and the following year a superb run of form for Worcestershire resulted in him scoring 1,957 runs, at an average of 54.36. However, business prevented him representing the MCC in Australia the following year and England undoubtedly missed his brilliant batting. Moreover, apart from one match against Warwickshire, he could devote no time to first-class cricket in May and June 1902, ruling him out of contention for an England place against Australia.

In 1903, his appearances were restricted to three matches in June and August, but England were desperate for a captain for that winter's tour. Foster was (oddly) able to arrange to be away from England. Although one might have feared he would be out of practice, in the first Test at Sydney in 1903, Foster scored 287. This was the highest score in Test cricket until 1930, and (as of 2008) remains the highest score by a debutant, and the highest by an Englishman in Australia. He did not follow it up, though his 30 on a vicious wicket at Melbourne in the last Test was excellent.

In the following three seasons Foster could spare no time for cricket, apart from August 1905 (when he scored 246 on his first appearance), but in 1907 he was able to find time to play regularly from the beginning of June. His batting was as good as ever in a summer of appalling wickets and helped Worcestershire (fourteenth of sixteen counties in 1906) to rise to equal second with Yorkshire. He captained England in the three-match series against South Africa in 1907, winning one match and drawing two. Offered the captaincy of the MCC for the 1907/1908 Ashes tour, Foster declined because business commitments were monopolising his attention.

After the Third Test of 1907 he could spare time for only two more first-class matches in 1910 and 1912. However, in Saturday club cricket, he never lost his brilliance. In one club match in 1909 he scored 261 in just 75 minutes.

Football career

In football, Foster played as a forward for the Corinthians in the early 1900s. He played five matches for England between 1900 and 1902, making his debut against Wales on 26 March 1900. In his second game, against Ireland at Southampton, he scored two goals in a 3-0 victory, although only 8,000 saw this, his most distinguished performance. The great C.B. Fry played at full-back in the same game. Foster was awarded the captaincy against Wales in his final appearance on 3 March 1902, which ended in a 0-0 draw. During his short England career he scored three goals.

Death

By 1913 it was clear Foster was suffering severely from diabetes. A trip to South Africa failed to help him recover and he died in May 1914 at the age of only 36.

References

* [http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/PLAYERS/ENG/F/FOSTER_RE_01000273/ Cricinfo page on Tip Foster]
* [http://www.englandstats.com/playerreport.php?pid=363 England football profile]

External links

* [http://www.ouafc.com/varsity/players/150 Reginald Foster] — biography on the Oxford University Association Football Club web site