Famous Cricketers No 65 - Len Hutton

His second game of the season was as captain of the MCC against the visiting South Africans at Lord’s. After his outstanding success in Australia, he received a wonderful reception from the crowd. After the visitors had declared late on the first day, he came in to bat for a few minutes, finishing on 2 not out. However, so stricken was he with lumbago that he was unable to continue his innings on the Monday. On this day the selectors paid him the great honour of making him captain for all five Tests with South Africa, the first time such confidence had been shown in an England captain since before the First World War. His state of health was such, however, that he was forced to resign the captaincy and to announce his retirement from Test cricket. There had been glimpses of his former mastery just before his final game referred to above. Two matches before this his 62 in the second innings at Northampton had been an important factor in Yorkshire’s six-wicket victory. In his penultimate appearance for the county the spectators at Trent Bridge were privileged to see him play a vintage innings of 194, the highest individual innings of the season at that point. With his last 94 coming in only sixty-five minutes, he reeled off a series of strokes recalling his glory days. However, the pains and strains of the game had proved too much and the next game at Bournemouth was his last in the championship. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 500. Yorkshire v Somerset, Headingley, May 18, 19, 20 (Yorkshire won by 163 runs) c J.G.Lomax b B.Lobb 11 161 84 c R.Smith b J.W.J.McMahon 66 213-4d 127 501. MCC v South Africans, Lord’s, May 21, 23, 24 (South Africans won by 93 runs) retired ill 2 87 185-9d absent ill - 189 184 502. Yorkshire v Lancashire, Old Trafford, May 28, 30, 31 (Yorkshire won by five wickets) b K.B.Standring 2 271 204 b R.Tattersall 17 168-5 230 503. Yorkshire v Sussex, Hove, June 1, 2, 3 (Sussex won by 21 runs) c A.S.M.Oakman b A.E.James 54 157 175 lbw b N.I.Thomson 0 135 138 1 504. Yorkshire v Surrey, Kennington Oval, June 4, 6, 7 (Surrey won by 41 runs) c A.J.W.McIntyre b P.J.Loader 0 131 85 b P.J.Loader 1 174 261-7d 505. Yorkshire v Hampshire, Bradford, June 11, 13 (Hampshire won by an innings and 43 runs) b P.J.Sainsbury 17 62 224 lbw b P.J.Sainsbury 4 119 132 506. Yorkshire v Kent, Hull, June 15, 16, 17 (Yorkshire won by ten wickets) c D.G.Ufton b J.C.T.Page 85 375-5d 249 did not bat - 7-0 507. Yorkshire v Surrey, Headingley, June 18, 20, 21 (Yorkshire won by six wickets) lbw b A.V.Bedser 6 166 268 1 b A.V.Bedser 1 178-4 74 508. Yorkshire v Northamptonshire, Northampton, June 22, 23, 24 (Yorkshire won by six wickets) c K.V.Andrew b R.W.Clarke13 220 231 1 c R.P.Hogan b S.Starkie 62 160-4 145 1 509. Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire, Trent Bridge, June 25, 27, 28 (Match drawn) c A.Jepson b P.F.Harvey 194 389-9d 384 280-5 1 510. Yorkshire v Hampshire, Bournemouth, June 29, 30 (Yorkshire won by 96 runs) c A.W.H.Rayment b D.Shackleton 0 165 103 c L.Harrison b R.E.Marshall 2 165 131 62