Famous Cricketers No 65 - Len Hutton

selectors that he was the right man as he was appointed for the first two Tests for one game only, but after the Lord’s Test he was appointed for the rest of the series and, as a bonus, for the forthcoming West Indies tour. The rest of the season could have been seen as an anti-climax, but his form for his county and in other games was as masterful as ever. “Hutton played a typically immaculate innings,” 100* v Kent at Scarborough; “On a difficult pitch he showed superb form,” 100 v Worcestershire at Huddersfield; “Only a masterly display by Hutton saved Yorkshire from defeat in two days,” 76 v Surrey at the Oval. The list seems endless, but special mention must be made of his batting in the Scarborough Festival when he finished the season in a blaze of glory with three centuries in the three games. Pride of place must go to his 241 for the Players v the Gentlemen when he reached a century before lunch with a six and scored his next 100 in seventy-five minutes. He finished the season at the top of the first-class averages – if we discount James Langridge’s 10 innings, 5 not out, 358 runs – and at the age of 37 was still clearly England’s finest batsman. He now had the challenge of taking a side to the West Indies who would surely be extremely difficult opposition. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 430. Yorkshire v MCC, Lord’s, May 2, 4 (Yorkshire won by an innings and 14 runs) c D.C.Morgan b R.Tattersall 10 183 87 82 431. Yorkshire v Australians, Bradford, May 6, 7, 8 (The Australians won by an innings and 94 runs) b R.R.Lindwall 0 145 453-6d c G.B.Hole b A.K.Davidson 65 214 432. Yorkshire v Essex, Hull, May 9, 11, 12 (Match drawn) b T.E.Bailey 25 366-7d 370-6d c R.Horsfall b R.Smith 39 196-8d 179-9 433. Yorkshire v Oxford University, The Parks, May 13, 14, (15) (Match drawn) not out 35 75-2 21 6 77 0 422-9d 1 434. Yorkshire v Somerset, Headingley, May 16, 18, 19 (Match drawn) c C.G.Mitchell b J.Lawrence 178 525-4d 347 21-2 435. Yorkshire v Worcestershire, Huddersfield, May 20, 21, 22 (Yorkshire won by72 runs) c L.N.Devereux b J.R.Ashman 100 258 166 1 c D.Kenyon b R.T.D.Perks 31 208-5d 228 1 436. Yorkshire v Lancashire, Old Trafford, May 23, 25, 26 (Match drawn) b J.B.Statham 2 249-9d 173 186-7 437. An England XI v The Rest, Edgbaston, May 27, 28, 29 (Match drawn) b F.R.Brown 49 269-6d 174 1 not out 28 116-2d 118-0 438. Yorkshire v Glamorgan, Bramall Lane, May 30, June 1, (2) (Match drawn) c A.J.Watkins b J.E.McConnon 98 366-7d 128-4 439. Yorkshire v Leicestershire, Harrogate, June 3, 4, 5 (Match drawn) c J.Firth b T.J.Goodwin 5 288-6d 251 1 440. Yorkshire v Middlesex, Lord’s, June 6, 8, 9 (Match drawn) c L.H.Compton b F.J.Titmus 38 354 364 173-5d 441. ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA, Trent Bridge, June 11, 12, 13, (15), 16 (Match drawn) c R.Benaud b A.K.Davidson 43 144 249 not out 60 120-1 123 1 442. Yorkshire v Australians, Bramall Lane, June 20, 22, 23 (Match drawn) c D.Tallon b W.A.Johnston 67 377 323 1 c R.R.Lindwall b W.A.Johnston 84 220-3 54