County Champions Middlesex, although Surrey lost the game. Jardine finished the season with 1,015 first-class runs at an average of 39.03, although critics argued that he was still yet to fulfill his full potential. Jardine missed most of the 1922 season owing to a serious knee injury; he played only four matches at a time when he was expected to make a big impression. He missed Oxford's match against Cambridge and was unable to play for Surrey at all that season. Even so, in 1922 he was selected by The Isis as one of its men of the year. After some problems with his troublesome knee, Jardine returned to cricket by May of the 1923 season. He was not given the Oxford captaincy in his final year, which has led to later speculation that his manner and unfriendliness was held against him. However, his persistent injury and the availability of other deserving candidates may have provided some of the explanation. Jardine gradually found his batting form, and contributed to Oxford's only win over Cambridge in the decade. During one innings of another match, he received criticism for using his pads to stop the ball from hitting the wickets: this was fully within the laws of the game but was considered controversial, being seen by critics to be against the spirit of the game. Christopher Douglas traces Jardine's hostility towards the press and critics to this incident. He also received criticism for his slow batting for Oxford, again being singled out due to his known ability to play attacking shots. Partly this was because Jardine held a responsible position, with the team often reliant on his personal success. The complaints against him were a manifestation of wider criticism of young amateur batting at the time for its supposed lack of verve and enterprise, as older commentators began to hark back to the "golden age" before the war. Jardine left Oxford in 1923 having scored a total of 1,381 runs and was awarded a fourth class degree in modern history. When Jardine went on to play for Surrey that season, and now in an already strong batting side, he played with more freedom. Batting at number five, he had to adapt his style depending on the match situation. He was successful, playing either long defensive innings or sacrificing his innings in an attempt to hit quick runs. His captain Percy Fender retained