Famous Cricketers No 65 - Len Hutton

Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Championship 129 36 343 12 4-49 28.58 - - Other Yorkshire matches 44.3 8 136 9 4-25 15.11 - - Season (6-ball) 173.3 44 479 21 4-25 22.80 - - Career (6-ball) 305.4 66 982 35 4-25 28.05 - - 1937 Len Hutton described 1937 as the “First of my Golden Years” in his autobiography and it is easy to see why. From a career total of 2,845 runs at an average of 30.92 with three centuries at the start of the season he added 2,888 runs, average 56.62, and a further ten centuries. This was the year he came of age in all senses, the richly promising apprentice becoming the master batsman. Herbert Sutcliffe’s prophecies of 1935 were being fulfilled. He made his England debut, was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year and, to complete his season, Yorkshire regained the County Championship from Derbyshire. The season opened for him as it was to close with a century at Lord’s when he scored 161 in a narrow Yorkshire victory over the MCC. Consistent scoring during May and June brought his name sharply into the focus of the selectors and it was no surprise when he was named for the First Test at Lord’s against New Zealand. He had just scored a century in the Kent match at Tonbridge and was on 88* against Derbyshire when the news of his selection came on the Sunday. To celebrate he carried on to finish with a marathon 271* in a Yorkshire innings victory. He followed this with another century, this time against Leicestershire on his 21st birthday, and thus could not have been in better form for the Test, Alas! Unlike Jimmy Greaves on the soccer field who scored for every team he played with on debut, Len had the reverse experience as he “failed to trouble the scorer” in his first games for Yorkshire II, Yorkshire and now England. He fared little better in the second innings, lasting an hour, but only scoring 1. The bowler on each occasion was Jack Cowie of whom it was said that if he had been an Australian he would have been regarded as an all-time great. Hutton’s form returned in the next game with another century at the expense of Essex. An innings of particular pleasure during the spell leading up to his England selection must have been his century at Stourbridge where the previous season he had made a “pair”. His partnership of 233 with Leyland (167 in 3 hours) must have given him much consolation. Luckily the selectors did not panic and he was selected for the second Test at Old Trafford – poor Jim Parks of Sussex was not so lucky in his wonderful year of 3,000 runs and 100 wickets as his first Test at Lord’s also proved to be his last. With the confidence of the selectors behind him Hutton scored the first of his nineteen Test centuries and, with one notable exception, retained his place in the England side for the rest of his career. With the rare exception, the rest of the season was a triumphal progress round the county grounds. He finished the summer third in the averages behind Hammond and Hardstaff with 121 at Lord’s in the final game, the Challenge match between Yorkshire and Middlesex. This was Patsy Hendren’s last game of a great career and was also the young Hutton’s third century of the season at Headquarters, as in addition to that in the first game of the season he had also scored 102 in May for North v South in the Test Trial. Although his season was obviously dominated by his batting exploits, let us not forget his usefulness as a bowler. He bowled more overs this season than in any other of his career returning what were to be his best innings and match figures. At Leicester in August he took 4/25 and 6/76 enabling Yorkshire to win a game which seemed certain to be a draw. He also took Cyril Washbrook’s wicket for the third consecutive time in “Roses” matches which may have been a talking point in their illustrious opening partnership for England! As well as sheer volume of runs there was more freedom of strokeplay to be noted. His defensive powers had always been appreciated, but now, with increased confidence and experience, he was 14