Geoffrey Foster
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Norman Foster was an English
cricketer
who played county cricket
for Worcestershire
and Kent
, as well as appearing a number of times for Oxford University
and MCC
. He was one of the seven Foster brothers
, all of whom played first-class cricket
for Worcestershire, and he led the county on a few occasions in the absence of the regular captain. He was a fast scorer, once making 101 in an hour for Oxford against Gentlemen of England.
Born in Malvern
, Worcestershire
, Foster was educated, like all his brothers, at Malvern College
, where he was in the cricket eleven.
He made his first-class debut for Worcestershire against Leicestershire
at New Road
in August 1903, but made a duck
in his only innings. He played a handful more matches in that and the following season, but his only achievement of note was an innings of 81 against Somerset
in August 1905.
He went to Oxford University in 1905, and got his Blue every year from then until 1908. In 1905 he took the first of his few wickets, that of Gentlemen of England's Maynard Ashcroft
. A fine all-round sportsman, Foster was also a Blue at golf
and rackets
, as well as captaining the university's football
team in 1908.
Cricket was, however, his forté, and combining his appearances for Oxford with those for his county, he scored particularly heavily in 1907, when he hit 1,182 first-class runs (his best season's aggregate) at an average
of over 40. He also passed a thousand runs in 1908.
In 1909-10 Foster went to India
, playing twice for Europeans in the Bombay Presidency Match and Triangular
, though his contribution was negligible: he totalled just three runs, held one catch and did not bowl. In 1910 he made his thousand runs for the third and last time when he played 19 first-class games and took 25 catches, both figures being his most in a single season. He appeared 17 times in 1911, but thereafter his business commitments limited his appearances to a handful each season.
However, he did make a career-best 175 against Leicestershire in 1913, only to see Worcestershire fall to an eight-run defeat, despite Worcestershire having enforced the follow-on.
His stand of 195 with John Cuffe
in that match was at the time a county record for the sixth wicket.
In 1912 he played (for the only time in his career) as wicket-keeper
against the Australians at New Road, stumping the opposing keeper, Harold Webster.
The First World War intervened after the 1914 season, and Foster did not play again until 1920, when he appeared once each for Free Foresters
and MCC, hitting 143 in his match for the latter side against Oxford University. In 1921 he played eight times for Kent, for whom he turned out twice more the following season. After that his first-class appearances were sporadic: he played for Harlequins
in one of their few first-class matches, against the South Africans in 1924, and later that decade played four games for Free Foresters against Oxford University. Finally, he played a few games for MCC in 1931, the last being against — once again — Oxford.
He was the Public Schools and Independent Schools F.A.
representative on the Council of the Football Association
from 1920 to 1924.
Foster died in Westminster
, London
at the age of 86.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
who played county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
for Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
and Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
, as well as appearing a number of times for Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
and MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
. He was one of the seven Foster brothers
Fostershire
"Fostershire" was a name jocularly applied to Worcestershire County Cricket Club in the early part of the 20th century, shortly after the county had achieved first-class status and admission into the English County Championship...
, all of whom played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for Worcestershire, and he led the county on a few occasions in the absence of the regular captain. He was a fast scorer, once making 101 in an hour for Oxford against Gentlemen of England.
Born in Malvern
Malvern, Worcestershire
Malvern is a town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England, governed by Malvern Town Council. As of the 2001 census it has a population of 28,749, and includes the historical settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, and the former...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, Foster was educated, like all his brothers, at Malvern College
Malvern College
Malvern College is a coeducational independent school located on a 250 acre campus near the town centre of Malvern, Worcestershire in England. Founded on 25 January 1865, until 1992, the College was a secondary school for boys aged 13 to 18...
, where he was in the cricket eleven.
He made his first-class debut for Worcestershire against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
at New Road
New Road, Worcester
New Road, Worcester, England, has been the home cricket ground of Worcestershire County Cricket Club since 1896. Immediately to the northwest is a road called New Road, part of the A44, hence the name.- Overview :...
in August 1903, but made a duck
Duck (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a duck refers to a batsman's dismissal for a score of zero.-Origin of the term:The term is a shortening of the term "duck's egg", the latter being used long before Test cricket began...
in his only innings. He played a handful more matches in that and the following season, but his only achievement of note was an innings of 81 against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
in August 1905.
He went to Oxford University in 1905, and got his Blue every year from then until 1908. In 1905 he took the first of his few wickets, that of Gentlemen of England's Maynard Ashcroft
Maynard Ashcroft
Edward Maynard Ashcroft was an English doctor and cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire between 1897 and 1906 and captained the Derbyshire team in 1904.-Early life:...
. A fine all-round sportsman, Foster was also a Blue at golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and rackets
Racquets (sport)
Rackets or Racquets is an indoor racket sport played in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada...
, as well as captaining the university's football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team in 1908.
Cricket was, however, his forté, and combining his appearances for Oxford with those for his county, he scored particularly heavily in 1907, when he hit 1,182 first-class runs (his best season's aggregate) at an average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of over 40. He also passed a thousand runs in 1908.
In 1909-10 Foster went to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, playing twice for Europeans in the Bombay Presidency Match and Triangular
Bombay Quadrangular
The Bombay Quadrangular was an influential cricket tournament held in Bombay, India from 1912 to 1936. At other times it was known variously as the Presidency Match, Bombay Triangular, and the Bombay Pentangular....
, though his contribution was negligible: he totalled just three runs, held one catch and did not bowl. In 1910 he made his thousand runs for the third and last time when he played 19 first-class games and took 25 catches, both figures being his most in a single season. He appeared 17 times in 1911, but thereafter his business commitments limited his appearances to a handful each season.
However, he did make a career-best 175 against Leicestershire in 1913, only to see Worcestershire fall to an eight-run defeat, despite Worcestershire having enforced the follow-on.
His stand of 195 with John Cuffe
John Cuffe
John Alexander Cuffe was an Australian-born English cricketer who played more than 200 times in first-class cricket for Worcestershire between 1903 and 1914, having previously made a single appearance for New South Wales. After retiring from county cricket, he stood as an umpire for three years in...
in that match was at the time a county record for the sixth wicket.
In 1912 he played (for the only time in his career) as wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
against the Australians at New Road, stumping the opposing keeper, Harold Webster.
The First World War intervened after the 1914 season, and Foster did not play again until 1920, when he appeared once each for Free Foresters
Free Foresters Cricket Club
Free Foresters Cricket Club is an English amateur cricket club, established in 1856 for players from the Midland counties of England. It is a 'wandering' club, having no home ground....
and MCC, hitting 143 in his match for the latter side against Oxford University. In 1921 he played eight times for Kent, for whom he turned out twice more the following season. After that his first-class appearances were sporadic: he played for Harlequins
Harlequins cricket team
The Harlequins Cricket Club is a wandering cricket club formed in 1852 by fellows of Merton College, Oxford. The club is made up exclusively of current and former Oxford University first-class cricketers and according to the rules of the club only a maximum of twenty members can be resident at the...
in one of their few first-class matches, against the South Africans in 1924, and later that decade played four games for Free Foresters against Oxford University. Finally, he played a few games for MCC in 1931, the last being against — once again — Oxford.
He was the Public Schools and Independent Schools F.A.
Independent Schools Football Association
Independent Schools Football Association oversees boys' football among independent schools in the United Kingdom. The ISFA is affiliated to the Football Association.Its chairman is David Elleray, and its CEO is Mark Dickson.-History:...
representative on the Council of the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
from 1920 to 1924.
Foster died in Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the age of 86.