Foster RE “Tip” Image 13 Oxford University 1900

Description

Malvern, Worcestershire born Reginald Erskine (R.E.) “Tip” Foster had an outstanding cricket career and is one of 12 double internationals at both cricket and football. He and 6 brothers were all educated at Malvern College and all played cricket for Worcestershire, with Foster playing for the County between 1899 and 1912.

He first played for Oxford University Cricket Club in 1897; in addition to cricket, he also represented Oxford at football, racquets and golf. 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 finest 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 Wilfrid Foster both scored two hundreds in a match against Hampshire, a feat which remains unique in County cricket. In 1900, as captain of Oxford, he scored 171 to set the record for the highest individual score in the Varsity Match, and he scored 102 not out and 136 for the Gentlemen against the Players at Lord’s, the first man to score two centuries in a match in the Gentleman v Players series. In total, Foster scored 930 runs at an average of 77.5 for Oxford in the 1900 season, a record in University cricket.

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 Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.) 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 Ashes tour. Foster was (oddly) able to arrange to be away from England. Although one might have feared that he would be out of practice, in the first Test at Sydney in December 1903, Foster scored 287. This was the highest score in Test cricket until surpassed by Andy Sandham in 1930, and remains the highest score by a debutant and the third highest by a batsman of any nationality against Australia, home or away (surpassed only by Len Hutton’s 364 in 1938 & Ross Taylor’s 290 in 2015).

For more than a century, Foster also held the record for the highest score in a Test match at the S.C.G., his score not being beaten until Australian Michael Clarke scored 329 not out against India in January 2012. Foster did not follow it up, until the final Test on a vicious wicket at Melbourne, where he top-scored in both innings with 18 (in a total of 61 all out) and, having been promoted to open, an excellent 30 (out of 101 all out).

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 (14th of 16 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 M.C.C. for the 1907-08 Ashes tour, Foster declined because business commitments were monopolising his attention. In all he played 8 Tests for England between 1903 and 1907 averaging  an excellent 46.30 with the bat. At the time it was said of him “He is considered the finest short slip now playing”, he also took 178 catches in 139 first class matches, holding 13 catches in Test matches.

After the Third Test of 1907 he could spare time for only two more first class matches, one in 1910 (when he scored 133 against Yorkshire) and one in 1912. However, in Saturday club cricket, he never lost his brilliance. In one club match in 1909 he scored 261 in just 75 minutes. In his first class career, Foster scored 9,076 runs at an average of 41.82 with 22 centuries and 41 half centuries. He also bowled right-arm fast occasionally, taking 25 first class wickets at 46.12 apiece, with a best performance of 3-54.

As a footballer, Foster played as a forward for The Corinthians in the early 1900’s, playing for them between 1899 and 1902. He also played for Old Malvernians, a team made up of ex pupils from Malvern College, having been an Oxford University blue in both 1898 and 1899. He won the FA Amateur Cup with The Corinthians in 1902.

He played five matches for England between 1900 and 1902, making his debut against Wales on 26th March 1900. In his second game, against Ireland at the Dell, Southampton, he scored his first international goal in a 3-0 victory. C. B. Fry played at full-back in the same game, and he played twice more in the same season against Wales and Scotland, scoring in a 6-0 win over Wales at St James’ Park.

Foster was awarded the captaincy against Wales in his final appearance on 3rd March 1902, which ended in a 0-0 draw. During his short England career he scored two goals, but more lastingly he became one of only 12 double football and cricket internationals, and the only one to captain his country at both sports. He also played in the very first England match against Germany, scoring six goals in a 12-0 amateur team victory at White Hart Lane in 1901.

His demise was however an early one. 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 London in May 1914 at the age of only 36.

Tip Foster was the most notable cricketer of several brothers and relatives who played first class cricket. Brothers Harry, Wilfrid, Basil, Geoffrey, Maurice and Neville all played for Worcestershire and some also played for Oxford University, brother-in-law William Greenstock played for Cambridge University and Worcestershire, and three nephews, Christopher Foster, John Greenstock and Peter Foster, all subsequently 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.

NB in the photograph he walks out to bat with Hubert Pilkington, with whom he shared a large stand at the 1900 Varsity match on the way to scoring his record 171.