Famous Cricketers No 60 - Ernest Tyldesley

1935 At the end of the 1934 season Ernest Tyldesley announced his retirement from first-class cricket. It could be argued, with hindsight, that he would have done well to have stood by his decision and gone out “on top” with his beloved Lancashire holding the county title; but at the Championship Dinner he was urged by Lord Derby to revoke his decision and this he subsequently did. Yet despite the tribulations of 1935 one cannot criticise him too harshly for, although missing a full two months with injury, he still topped his county’s averages in championship games and, in a season of lower scoring overall, finished third in the national averages behind the redoubtable Wally Hammond and the 40-year-old Herbert Sutcliffe. Tyldesley only played in eleven games (and barely at all in the Leicestershire match where he contracted his injury) but his three major innings all came after his return at the end of July. He did, however, make a splendid start, his opening 68 at Lord’s being hailed by Wisden as “a faultless batting display”. Little more of note was achieved and then, while fielding at Leicester, he strained an abdominal muscle and had to go off. He was unable to bat in either innings, as indeed also was George Duckworth; the latter eventually returned on June 19th but it was July 31st before Tyldesley was fit enough to regain his place. Batting as though he had never been absent he contributed 89 out of a monumental 472 for 4 declared against Hampshire at Liverpool, while Len Hopwood and Norman Oldfield each collected centuries. A week later he repeated the performance, taking 85 off the Somerset attack and sharing in a stand of 147 with Jack Iddon. He missed the return game with Leicestershire but was back immediately to face Sussex at Old Trafford. He not only led his county (in the absence of Peter Eckersley) to an innings victory but played a real captain’s part by scoring 137 - his final century - out of 484 for 5 declared. Both he and Eddie Paynter “drove and pulled in fine style” as they added 236 in 170 minutes for the fourth wicket, E.T. contributing 13 fours. His season finished with a confident 47 at Northampton as he missed the final fixture with Somerset at Old Trafford. Thus ended a restricted campaign but Wisden considered his appearances justified: “When available Tyldesley did so well that he again headed the averages, clearly proving that his thought of retirement would have been premature”. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 636. Lancashire v Middlesex, Lord’s, May 8, 9 (Middlesex won by five wickets) lbw b J.M.Sims 68 163 185 b J.H.A.Hulme 3 78 61-5 637. Lancashire v Oxford University, The Parks, May 11, 13, 14 (Lancashire won by an innings and 30 runs) lbw b A.P.Singleton 52 498-7d 239 1 229 2 638. Lancashire v Worcestershire, Old Trafford, May 18, 20 (Lancashire won by nine wickets) c S.H.Martin b R.T.D.Perks 5 124 187 2 did not bat - 198-1 133 639. Lancashire v Gloucestershire, Gloucester (Wagon Works Ground), May 22, 23, 24 (Lancashire won by eight wickets) lbw b R.A.Sinfield 9 341 163 2 not out 35 84-2 260 1 640. Lancashire v Leicestershire, Leicester, May 25, 27, 28 (Leicestershire won by 129 runs) absent hurt - 242 375 absent hurt - 73 69-7d 641. Lancashire v Hampshire, Liverpool, July 31, August 1, 2 (Match drawn) c N.T.McCorkell b G.S.Boyes 89 472-4d 175 317-3 642. Lancashire v Yorkshire, Bradford, August 3, 5, 6 (Yorkshire won by seven wickets) c H.Verity b W.E.Bowes 0 53 225 c A.Wood b H.Fisher 28 352 181-3 65