partnership of Cyril Washbrook and Eddie Paynter the highlight. Paynter scored 322 in five hours for Lancashire against Sussex in 1937 having come down on the sleeper train from the victorious Old Trafford Test against New Zealand. He put on 268 in 155 minutes with Cyril Washbrook and celebrated his innings that evening at Brighton's Ice Palace. Post-war When play began in 1946, after World War II, things started badly for Lancashire when the captain and veteran player, Jack Iddon, was killed in a car accident just before the start of the season. Jack Fallows stood in as captain for the season. His successor, Ken Cranston, was an unusual choice as he had no prior first-class experience; despite this his captaincy was not unsuccessful as Lancashire finished third and fifth during his two years in charge. In 1947 Cyril Washbrook and Winston Place both scored over 2,500 runs and scored 19 centuries between them. Washbrook's benefit took place in August 1948 and was watched by 50,000 people; he received £14,000 (£ in ), beating the previous record by over £10,000. Despite finishing 11th in 1949, in 1950 – under the captaincy of Nigel Howard – Lancashire shared the county championship with Surrey, winning 16 matches; Roy Tattersall and Malcolm Hilton claimed nearly 300 wickets between them. The 1950 season marked the emergence of Brian Statham. In the following three seasons, Lancashire finished third each time. With the retirement of Nigel Howard in 1954, Lancashire appointed its first professional captain, Cyril Washbrook, who would captain the club for the next six years. In 1954 Geoff Pullar, Ken Grieves and Alan Wharton all scored over 2,000 runs, whilst Brian Statham, Ken Higgs and Tommy Greenhough all took over 100 wickets; despite this, Lancashire managed to finish only 5th. Lancashire came close to reclaiming the county championship in 1960 under a new captain, Bob Barber. Five batsmen scored more than 1,000 runs in the season, and Statham, Higgs and Greenhough all took over 100 wickets; Lancashire finished runner up due to a poor run of form towards the end of the season: losing four and drawing two of the last six matches after topping the table in August. The following year, however, Lancashire dropped to 13th, due in part to Barber's inexperience and Statham's and Geoff Pullar's England commitments. Things declined further in 1962, under the leadership of Joe Blackledge, who had had