Fagg faced weakened bowling

MANY thanks to Simon Sweetman for his article regarding Arthur Fagg’s unique feat of scoring two double centuries in the same match v Essex in 1938.

Without wishing to undermine such an astonishing achievement, Mr Sweetman omits one very important factor. At the same time as this match was played, four Essex bowlers (who took a total of 466 wickets between them that season) were engaged in the Gentlemen vs Players fixture at Lord’s. Morris Nichols, (who took 171 wickets that season) and Peter Smith, (144) were with the Players, plus Ken Farnes (107 in 19 matches!) and John Stevenson (44) with the Gentlemen.

Without these bowlers, the Essex attack was very thin, (a total of 126 wickets between them for the whole season), so the question should also be asked, would Arthur Fagg have made these two double hundreds if any, or all, of the missing bowlers had played?

CHRIS GRANT, Essex