Famous Cricketers No 45 - Hedley Verity

78. Yorkshire v Sussex, Hove, August 27, 29, 30 (Yorkshire won by 167 runs) lbw b M.W.Tate 19 258 5 1 21 1 R.S.G.Scott c W.Barber 166 did not bat - 225-3 23.5 7 48 6 J.G.Langridge lbw 150 2 A.Melville c and b J.Langridge c A.Wood M.W.Tate c A.B.Sellers W.L.Cornford c A.Mitchell J.H.Cornford st A.Wood 79. Yorkshire v M.C.C., Scarborough, August 31, September (1), 2 (Match drawn) lbw b V.W.C.Jupp 46 326 1 0 4 0 66-3 80. M.C.C. Australian XI v H.D.G.Leveson-Gower’s XI, Scarborough, September 3, 5, 6 (Match drawn) b W.E.Bowes 26 185 32 18 59 5 W.W.Keeton c A.Mitchell 200 3 E.H.Hendren c W.Voce L.F.Townsend c and b J.Iddon st G.Duckworth A.S.Kennedy b did not bat - 90-4 11 3 32 0 132-3d 81. M.C.C. Australian XI v Rest of England, Folkestone, September 7, 8, 9 (M.C.C. Australian XI won by 241 runs) not out 16 213 19.4 3 60 8 F.E.Woolley c F.R.Brown 244 1 B.H.Valentine c R.E.S.Wyatt H.W.Taylor b M.S.Nichols b H.G.O.Owen-Smith c G.Duckworth M.J.C.Allom c and b F.S.G.Calthorpe c L.E.G.Ames P.C.Oldfield b did not bat - 401-5d 9 0 40 3 H.W.Taylor c L.E.G.Ames 129 H.G.O.Owen-Smith b A.P.Freeman c H.Larwood 82. Yorkshire v The Rest, Kennington Oval, September 10, 11, 12 (Match drawn) c F.E.Woolley b J.Langridge 1 376 8 8 0 0 183 1 8 2 16 1 L.E.G.Ames c sub 109-4 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Championship 26 25 4 384 36* 18.28 - - 18 Other Yorks matches 6 6 2 68 46 17.00 - - 1 Other matches 2 2 1 42 26 42.00 - - 4 Season 34 33 7 494 46 19.00 - - 23 Career 82 72 16 892 46 15.92 - - 45 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Championship 948.1 339 1856 135 10/10 13.74 11 4 Other Yorks matches 98 38 203 11 5/65 18.45 1 - Other matches 71.4 24 191 16 8/60 11.93 2 1 Season (6-ball) 1117.5 401 2250 162 10/10 13.88 14 5 Career (6-ball) 2661.3 911 5587 414 10/10 13.49 38 11 1932/33 - M.C.C. In Australia and New Zealand Verity’s first overseas tour was perhaps the most dramatic in England’s history as this was the series of the notorious “Bodyline” Tests. Something had to be done to curb Bradman’s insatiable appetite for runs following his 974 in the 1930 Tests in England so England’s captain, Douglas Jardine, decided to use Larwood and Voce bowling intimidatingly short on or about the leg stump to a packed leg-side field. As England won the series 4-1 and Bradman’s average was reduced from 139.14 to 56.57 it may be said to have been successful, but at what cost! Although Hedley did not take centre stage in these tactics, he was an essential part of the attack as his supreme accuracy enabled the fast bowlers to be rested and bowling 135 overs for 271 runs he ensured that the good work of Larwood, Voce and Allen was not wasted. This marked the beginning of one of the greatest of contests of the decade, the duels 17