Famous Cricketers No 65 - Len Hutton

Life After Cricket In his last season as a Yorkshire player Len Hutton was in so much agony that he was forced to take sixteen pain-killers a day to seek relief from the arthritis which dogged him for the rest of his life. He had already retired from Test cricket in 1955, but did not officially retire from first-class cricket until January 1956 when a visit to a specialist confirmed his worst fears. The tributes which were then paid to him in print, on the radio and on television were what one would expect for such a great player, but such was his modesty that he found them a little embarrassing. A dinner was given in his honour by the National Sporting Club at the Café Royal in February, presided over by Brian Johnston. Even greater recognition of his achievements, however, came in the summer when, accompanied by his wife and sons, he went to Buckingham Palace to receive a knighthood, thus following in the footsteps of Jack Hobbs. For many years he had owned a sports shop in Bradford but when it was compulsorily purchased to make way for a building development he decided not to take up the offer of alternative premises. Many years were spent in writing for newspapers, in particular the London Evening News and The Observer where he gained a reputation for his succinct style and for his insights. He was able to keep alive his personal interest in the game by following the performances of his sons. Richard starred at schoolboy level at Repton before going on to play for Cambridge University, Yorkshire and England, whilst John, although never quite aspiring to these heights, did captain Repton and was selected for the Southern Schools and for H.S.Altham’s Public Schools’ XI. In 1959 the decision was made to move south from Pudsey as more and more time was required for work in London. Just after he had made the move to Kingston-upon-Thames an offer was made to him by a cricket–loving Yorkshireman, Dr. Sidney Hainsworth, to work for J.H.Fenner and Co., power transmission engineers. His name was obviously a great advantage in wooing prospective clients and he was used extensively in this role but he soon proved that he had more to offer than just this as he quickly mastered the marketing side of the business and eventually became a non-executive director. He undertook many trips abroad, initially to cricket-playing countries where he was a great success, but he also went several times to the U.S.A. where his initial introduction as The Babe Ruth of cricket made a great impact. He continued to visit the United States until his retirement in 1984 at the age of 68 – in fact his business career had been longer than his cricketing one! He had served a spell as a selector from 1975 to 1977 but he did not feel that he could give sufficient time to the task whilst working full-time for J.H.Fenner’s. Dr. Hainsworth ran a team which played on many occasions for Yorkshire beneficiaries and he attracted many famous players into his fold. Sir Leonard, of course, was often persuaded to take part in these matches, but his final game of all took place at the Oval, scene of so many of his great triumphs, in 1973, when he played for an Old England XI v The England Women’s XI, scoring 34 with many strokes reminiscent of his great days. In retirement he maintained his interest in golf, a sport in which he was very proficient, having at one time played to a handicap of three. He remained in great demand for attending functions such as dinners or prize-givings and the aura of his greatness never left him – any “sighting” of the great man always arousing a tremendous thrill. Yorkshire cricket remained very important to him and he was greatly upset by all the internecine struggles of the “Boycott years.” In 1990 he was made President of the club which he had served with such distinction as a player and although finding difficulty at times in travelling from Surrey and with his continuing health problems, he fulfilled his responsibilities with all the conscientiousness one would have expected of him. He died on September 6th 1990, aged 74, one of the true “immortals” of the game. 64