Geoffrey Foster

Geoffrey Foster, who died on August 11, aged 86, was one of seven brothers who played for Worcestershire and at one time earned the county the soubriquet of "Fostershire". All the brothers were at Malvern, where Geoffrey was in the XI from 1902 to 1904. Going up to Oxford, he was not only awarded his cricket Blue from 1905 to 1908, but also took part in the University Association football matches of 1905-6-7-8, being captain in the last season, and gained Blues for golf and rackets. He earned an amateur International Cap for England against Holland in 1907. Though his appearances for Worcestershire were restricted by business claims, he scored in all first-class fixtures 6,551 runs for an average of 26.84 and, an excellent fieldsman, held 151 catches.

Specially skilled in off-side strokes, particularly drives through the covers, he could score very quickly, as he proved when hitting 101 in sixty minutes for Oxford against Gentlemen of England at Eastbourne in 1908 and when he and W. B. Burns put on 181 in sixty-five minutes for Worcestershire against Hampshire at Worcester in 1905. His highest score was 175 off the Leicestershire bowling in 1913, and the Worcestershire sixth-wicket record of 195 established by him and J. A. Cuffe in that game still stands. After the First World War, Foster turned out occasionally for Kent. He played football for the Corinthians, of which club he was for a number of years honorary secretary. He was the father-in-law of F. G. H. Chalk, of Kent.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack