First in the Field

First county cricket match of the season between champions Lancashire and Warwickshire.

It's the first match of the 1927 county cricket season and the champions of 1926, Lancashire, are hosting Warwickshire at Old Trafford. This was the first county match to use the new, slightly smaller ball still in use today. The cameraman struggles to keep up with the fast bowlers, but there are some lovely close-ups showing the technique of the batsmen. Warwickshire had a good first innings with Norman Kilner and Leonard Bates scoring 60 and 66 respectively, but a downpour made the wicket tricky on the last day. Lancashire's bowlers took full advantage, and Warwickshire lost by 8 wickets.

In 1838 the size of a cricket ball had been fixed at a circumference of 9 to 9 1/4 inches, but in 1927 it was changed to between 8 13/16 and 9 inches. This is the size still in use today.