 Crawford 's performances in the 1909 season were less effective than in previous years . He began well , but was later hampered by an injury which prevented him from bowling . His batting average also fell . Surrey experienced disciplinary problems with several of their professional players during the season . The club president , Lord Alverstone , favoured amateurs , arguing that a losing amateur team was preferable to a professional side that won ; several professionals were left out in favour of amateurs . Apart from adversely affecting some players ' careers , this preference had destabilised the team over several seasons . Crawford disagreed with Alverstone , but nevertheless frequently assumed the leadership in the absence of the regular captain Leveson Gower for much of the season . He captained Surrey to a win over the touring Australian team early in 1909 after a strong performance by the professional bowler Tom Rushby . However , his captaincy was strongly criticised in the press , particularly over his management of the bowling . Around this time , Crawford 's form declined . With the bat , he was often dismissed attempting aggressive shots , and he lost his effectiveness as a bowler . As a result , he was not chosen for the Gentlemen and missed selection in the Ashes series . The press continued to criticise his captaincy , despite Surrey 's good results under his leadership . Burns notes : " For a young man with no experience of prolonged failure on the cricket field , this was almost certainly a traumatic time . " 
