Lives in Cricket No 47 - Brian Sellers

48 On the field (whatever that meant), they prized the amateur, above all as captain, who would play for the love of it. Even if it were true that all amateurs were good sports, and professionals bad, you could never generalise; the long season would grind everyone alike. Yet like all stereotypes, the one of the carefree amateur had some truth; why else did it last so long? As far back as 1904, Lord Hawke had written against an all-professional side and for some amateurs; the arguments were the same, but from different angles. Eleven professionals would ‘only play for the gate’, he said – that is, their wages – whereas amateurs were ‘the moral backbone of a county team’. Only the amateur could afford to be selfless, to think not of his average or money but such intangibles as glory, beauty, and indeed morals. Sellers could be, and sometimes was, daring. Against Middlesex at Sheffield in June 1932, after Yorkshire gained the first innings points by the end of the second day, Sellers reached 61 not out at lunch on the third, hitting Greville Stevens ‘to long on and onto Spion Kop at square leg for four and six’, as the Sheffield Telegraph reported. Sellers could have batted on towards a maiden century, to make his reputation. Instead he declared 141 ahead and ‘went for the 100 to one chance’ of bowling out Middlesex. Arthur Rhodes did take three early wickets, before Middlesex drew easily. ‘Sellers could make a sporting gesture as bold and generous as anyone I have met,’ said Hammond in one of his end of career memoirs. He singled out Bradford in May 1939. After a blank first day, Yorkshire took first innings points by the third morning. They then hit 162 in 21 overs and set Gloucestershire 189 in 100 minutes, which they made with a few minutes to spare. Some disapproved; ‘results lose their virtue when there Gloucestershire at Scarborough, August 1934. While the visitors looked relatively ragged, they did beat Yorkshire by nine wickets. Photograph once owned by broadcaster John Arlott. Left to right: Denis Moore, Ces Dacre, Tom Goddard, Basil Allen, Charlie Parker, Bev Lyon, Reg Sinfield, Grahame Parker, Dallas Page, Billy Neale, Charlie Barnett.