Famous Cricketers No 65 - Len Hutton

summer. There were many wonderful individual performances on the tour, especially when they came across hard wickets, but the Tests were disappointing. There was little doubt that if Hutton proved that his arm could stand up to playing every day, he would be opening the batting for England. He began a very successful Test opening partnership with Cyril Washbrook but his own performances in the games with India were not up to his usual standard with only one half-century in five innings. For Yorkshire, however he reigned supreme, finishing with an average of just over 50, almost twenty better than the next man. Although runs were comparatively scarce in the Tests, he made his highest score of the season against the Indians when the tourists played Yorkshire at Bradford. As Wisden said: “Hutton, master in everything … gave a grand exhibition” in a chanceless innings noted yet again for the beauty and majesty of his off-driving. His 99* on a turning wicket against Glamorgan in a very low-scoring game at Bramall Lane which enabled Yorkshire to win was looked upon as a superb display of batsmanship. A further example of his craftsmanship came in the game at Hull with Northamptonshire when his 171* was described as a faultless exhibition “on a pitch never free from blemish.” He was obviously one of the first selections for the forthcoming MCC tour of Australia and New Zealand. At the age of 30 he was relatively old for his first trip, but under normal circumstances he would have already made two trips there. In the days before teams flying out a few days before playing, the England party set sail on August 31, whilst the English season was still under way. Yorkshire allowed him to miss two county matches in late August so that he could spend time with his family,Dorothy, Richard and John, born in May of that year. They generously allowed him half-pay for the games missed. The season finished on a high note as his county won the championship for the fifth time in the seven seasons in which he had been a member of the side. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 187. Yorkshire v Cambridge University, Fenner’s, May 8, 9 (Yorkshire won by an innings and 74 runs) b B.S.Hobson 10 291 9 2 26 2 D.G.Lacy-Scott c and b 75 1 G.F.Boston b 4 0 19 0 142 188. Yorkshire v Glamorgan, Cardiff, May 11, 13 (Yorkshire won by five wickets) st H.G.Davies b D.E.Davies 90 195 116 b D.E.Davies 9 84-4 162 189. Yorkshire v Kent, Canterbury, May 18, 20 (Yorkshire won by an innings and 91 runs) c T.W.Spencer b L.J.Todd 62 252 69 1 92 190. Yorkshire v Oxford University, The Parks, May 22, 23, 24 (Yorkshire won by six wickets) b M.A.Sutton 2 251 8 0 22 1 N.C.F.Bloy c C.Turner 215 b B.H.Travers 15 123-4 - - - - 158 191. Yorkshire v Leicestershire, Headingley, May 25, 27, 28 (Match drawn) b V.E.Jackson 111 232 3 0 17 0 203 not out 21 37-0 192. Yorkshire v Kent, Bradford, May 29, 30 (Yorkshire won by 192 runs) b N.W.Harding 83 236 106 c J.W.Martin b C.Lewis 32 175 113 193. Yorkshire v Gloucestershire, Bristol, June 1, 3, 4 (Match drawn) c B.O.Allen b T.W.J.Goddard 44 336-6 369 194. Yorkshire v Lancashire, Bramall Lane, June 8, (10), 11 (Match drawn) lbw b R.Pollard 26 171-3d 127-4 195. England v The Rest, Lord’s, June (12), 13, 14 (Match drawn) c J.W.Martin b A.V.Bedser 82 294-7 209 1 196. Yorkshire v Middlesex, Lord’s, June 15, 17, 18 (Yorkshire won by 73 runs) c D.C.S.Compton b L.H.Gray 28 140 74 c W.F.F.Price b L.H.Gray 24 108 101 28