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Percy Jeeves died at the age of 28 during the First World War
© Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
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Several illustrious names, including the peerless Brian Lara, have turned out for Warwickshire but one, a promising allrounder who couldn't fulfil his potential, requires most attention. Born in Yorkshire in 1888, Percy Jeeves couldn't attract much attention and decided to shift to these parts. He turned out for Warwickshire against the Australians and South Africans in 1912 and was tipped as a fine prospect by PF Warner, that shrewd judge of talent. He had a fine couple of seasons – in 1913 and 1914 – but his career, and life, came to a halt during the First World War.
He died in 1916 at the tender age of 28. He was immortalised the same year, though, when PG Woodhouse named his butler Jeeves, one of the most popular literary characters down the years. Jeeves the cricketer might have died young but his name happily lives on in public memory.
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It's normally easy to gauge the way the game's moving while standing outside a cricket ground. A raucous atmosphere equates to home side up, a slightly muted one means visiting side going strong. Today it was the opposite. India were the home team at the ground, one where England are used to getting tremendous support.
This was the same ground where, two years back, the Aussies didn't know what had hit them. Such is the backing England usually get here. Every few feet one sighted pockets of blue, the tricolour was waved generously and Hindi chants were the most audible.
The Eric Hollies stand, normally inhabited by partisan English supporters, was invaded by a sea of blue. In fact there was a ruckus about an hour after the start of the game in that very area, when one spectator waved a Pakistan flag. So loud was the protest that he quickly changed his mind.
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