Famous Cricketers No 45 - Hedley Verity

177. H.D.G.Leveson-Gower’s XI v Australians, Scarborough, September 8, 10, 11 (Australians won by an innings and 48 runs) c H.T.Ebeling b L.O’B.Fleetwood-Smith 3 223 21 3 84 2 D.G.Bradman st G.Duckworth 489 W.M.Woodfull lbw st W.A.S.Oldfield b L.O’B.Fleetwood-Smith 0 218 178. The Rest v Lancashire, Kennington Oval, September 14, 15, 17, 18 (The Rest won by eight wickets) not out 14 385-9d 24 1 50 4 G.E.Tyldesley b 206 E.Paynter st A.Wood W.H.L.Lister b F.S.Booth c J.H.Human did not bat - 155-2 20.4 5 79 4 C.Washbrook c R.E.S.Wyatt 333 1 J.Iddon st A.Wood F.S.Booth c E.W.Clark R.Pollard st A.Wood SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Test matches 5 7 3 103 60* 25.75 - 1 5 Players v Gentlemen 2 2 1 14 13* 14.00 - - 1 Championship 18 22 4 309 38 17.16 - - 14 Other Yorks matches 5 6 1 69 23 13.80 - - 4 Other matches 3 4 2 25 14* 12.50 - - 2 Season 33 41 11 520 60* 17.33 - 1 26 Career 178 191 40 2716 91* 17.98 - 7 120 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Test matches 271.2 93 576 24 8/43 24.00 2 1 Players v Gentlemen 57.4 13 187 9 6/57 20.77 1 - Championship 632 280 1210 79 7/75 15.31 5 1 Other Yorks matches 201.3 81 367 21 4/34 17.47 - - Other matches 19.4 33 305 17 4/34 17.94 - - Season 1282.1 500 2645 150 8/43 17.63 8 2 Career (6-ball) 5797.4 2081 } 12774 877 10/10 14.57 72 23 (8-ball) 190.2 65 1935 This was the first of three consecutive seasons in which Verity took over 200 wickets and although bowling three overs fewer than in 1934, he took 61 more wickets at lesser cost. He took five wickets in an innings on 22 occasions, which was the best season in his career in this respect. He had mixed fortunes in the matches against Kent as he recorded his only ‘pair’ against them at Bradford (where he had suffered against the same county in 1931 from Frank Woolley’s assault), but at Tonbridge in July the last wicket in his 7-53 (5 bowled, 2 lbw) was his 1,000th in first-class cricket, when he bowled Claude Lewis. Yorkshire regained the County Championship this year which was emphasised by their win over the Rest of England at Kennington Oval in September, the first time this had been achieved by a Champion County since 1905 (Yorkshire!). Verity (161) and Bowes (138) were the key figures with the ball, whilst Hedley also had his best season for catches with 35. One of the sensations of the season was the sound thrashing of the Champions at Huddersfield by Essex by an innings and 204 runs. Yorkshire’s two innings lasted less than three hours - revenge indeed for Leyton in 1931 and 1932. This was an historic season in that the visiting South Africans won a Test series in England for the first time, as a result of their victory at Lord’s. Verity played in four of the Tests and finished top of the bowling averages. In the tourists’ fixture against Yorkshire at Sheffield he received one of his rare “hammerings” with figures of 14-2-87-0 including the 30 off one over by H.B.Cameron which led to the immortal words of Arthur Wood: “You’ve got him in two minds, Hedley; he doesn’t know 30