Les Poidevin

Les Poidevin was a thoroughly sound and watchful, if not particularly attractive batsman, being quite content, however long he had been at the wicket, to play the good ball but rarely failing to punish anything loose. He had already made a name in New South Wales cricket when he came to England to study medicine. At that time Australia as well as England were very rich in first-class batsmen, and Poidevin did not enjoy the distinction of making a mark in Test cricket, but in the Australian season of 1901 he took part in what then was the record score for an innings. New South Wales put together 918 and his 140 not out was the fifth century obtained, the others being 168 by Syd Gregory, 153 by M. A. Noble, 119 by R. A. Duff and 118 by Frank Iredale. South Australia were beaten by an innings and 605 runs, one of the most overwhelming victories ever obtained in cricket. This score has twice been excelled by Victoria with 1,059 against Tasmania at Melbourne and again four seasons later in December, 1926, with 1,107 against New South Wales at Melbourne.

First assisting London County Poidevin qualified for Lancashire and during the seven seasons--1902 to 1908 - he scored 5,925 runs with an average of nearly 30 an innings. In his first season in County Cricket - 1904 - he helped Lancashire to carry off the Championship, his contribution to the side's efficiency being 865 runs with an average of 34. Next year Poidevin headed the Lancashire averages with 44 and the highest aggregate of 1,376 runs, his personal success being the more remarkable as it surpassed the effort of such great batsmen as J. T. Tyldesley, Mr. R. H. Spooner, Mr. A. C. MacLaren and John Sharp who followed in the order named. That summer, in the course of a fortnight at the end of June, he made 122 against Somerset at Taunton, 168 not out against Worcestershire at Worcester and 138 against Sussex at Manchester. Poidevin batted in a style typical of Australian cricket of that era. Of moderate build, he had a very strong defence and he made runs steadily all round the wicket by orthodox strokes. A good field anywhere, he occasionally bowled slows with some success.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack