Lives in Cricket No 47 - Brian Sellers

96 Last seasons 1946-48 other settled older men to share the pastoral work. On his return from Australia in March 1947, Sellers spoke of it as ‘a four or five year job’. Little John in the Evening Post recalled how Sellers on returning from the war had looked forward to ‘perhaps another three years with the side’. ‘While he has been in Australia the death of one of his business partners has changed the situation somewhat.’ On the field, 1947 was different too. Yorkshire were weaker, other counties were blooming. No longer would it be, as Bill Edrich said in 1949, looking back, ‘an annual race between Yorkshire and the rest’. At Lord’s in June 1947 for instance, after two rain-affected days Middlesex were 98 for none in reply to Yorkshire’s 187. In two and a half hours Middlesex, the eventual champions, raced to 350 for two declared, looking for an innings win. At 260 for two, when Denis Compton joined Edrich, the Times reporter claimed to feel compassion for Yorkshire: ‘To see two Yorkshire bowlers of pace bowling with no slip or short-leg, and the fieldsmen spread hopefully around the boundary, was to wonder what transformation had occurred in Yorkshire cricket.’ Sellers batted more than an hour for 11, to draw. Yorkshire ended the season joint seventh with Worcestershire, with eight wins, six defeats and 12 draws. That hid an upturn after mid-July, when Yorkshire were twelfth. As the figures suggest, Yorkshire could no longer knock over the likes of Essex. Trevor Bailey in his memoir recalled a draw at Southend in August 1947; Yorkshire made 401 on the first day, only for Essex to make 468 on the second. Sellers had to keep wicket instead of Don Brennan. Ray Smith, batting at ten, took Essex into the lead in a long ninth-wicket partnership. Albert Wilkes & Son, photographers of West Bromwich, took this team picture of Yorkshire at Edgbaston in May 1947. Standing (l to r): Willie Watson, Masseur Heyhirst, Vic Wilson, Alex Coxon, Allan Mason (12th man), Walker (scorer), Harry Crick (wicket-keeper). Seated: Frank Smailes, Bill Bowes, Brian Sellers, Norman Yardley, Len Hutton, Ellis Robinson. Front: Harold Beaumont and Freddie Jakeman (13th man).