Dick Pollard - Front-line County Bowler

Front-line County Bowler

Age and injuries caused a the decline of many of Lancashire's cricketers in 1936, and the county finished 11th in the County Championship, equalling its lowest ever position to that date. Pollard was exempted from the criticisms in Wisden – he "improved a little", it said. In all games, he took 108 wickets at an average of 20.13. He improved his best bowling figures twice in different matches against Glamorgan: he took 7/57 in the away match at Cardiff and followed that with 8/42 in the return match at Old Trafford. There was also progress in batting: he hit 58 not out in the match against Surrey at Old Trafford, and followed that with 55 in the return match at The Oval. The 1936 season was the only one in which he passed 50 runs in an innings more than once.

Pollard's record in the three immediate pre-war seasons, 1937–1939 indicate his reliability. In the three seasons, he took, respectively, 112, 149, and 111 wickets, with 1938 being the most prolific season in his career. For most of these three years, his new-ball partner was Eddie Phillipson, who was very similar in style and pace. They both relied on accuracy rather than speed, using the seam of the ball, and generating some swing. Phillipson was injured for part of 1938, which put more work on to Pollard and to a degree explains his high tally of wickets. In that season too, Pollard was picked for a Test trial match between England and The Rest. Playing for The Rest, he produced the best bowling figures of the game with 5/57 in England's innings of 377, but it did not lead to a Test call-up. However, he was picked for the Gentlemen v Players match at Lord's.