Lives in Cricket No 48 - Maurice Leyland

62 A first century, that had eluded him in 1923, duly arrived the following April in a warm-up game in York but, with the best will in the world the XVI of the York and District were scarcely first-class opponents. Maurice came so close to the magical three figures on the last day of May when, playing against Kent at Hull, he was out ‘hit wicket’, with his score on 94, while attempting to lift a ball from ‘Tich’ Freeman into the crowd to bring up his 100. Unlike the runaway success of 1923 this was a season when consistency failed the side, individually and collectively, but skipper Geoffrey Wilson did manage to end his three year stint at the helm with a third successive Championship and, albeit in August, Maurice at last claimed his coveted first first- class hundred with 133 not out in the drawn Roses clash at Old Trafford. Fittingly, his first ton on Yorkshire soil came on his home town ground at Harrogate three weeks later with 100 not out against Hampshire - in an unbeaten 205 run partnership with Edgar Oldroyd (122 not out) for the third wicket - and the late burst took his Yorkshire run tally to 1,203 for the season. Three titles in a row became four in 1925, under the captaincy of Major Lupton, and the season included a new highest score of 138, and another increased personal tally of 1,560; it also further underlined his versatility. Percy Holmes was caught in traffic on the way to the match with Middlesex, at Headingley, so Maurice was called on to open the innings, for only the sixth time in his career, and promptly hit 110 in a 218 run first wicket stand with Herbert Sutcliffe. Though Yorkshire finished second and third in Lupton’s next two years there were 1,561 runs for Maurice in 1926 and in 1927 he hit a total of 1,479 - including his first double century, 204 not out against Middlesex, at Sheffield, for Yorkshire’s highest individual score of the season, and a century off the visiting New Zealand tourists at Bradford. Playing primarily in a forceful fashion there was some inconsistency in Maurice’s batting during this season but that did not deter the England selectors from taking this first proper look at him by picking him for The Rest, against England, in a Test Trial at Lord’s. He rewarded them with 102 - his first representative ton. As early as 1925 an acknowledgement of his celebrity came when he was invited to contribute to the Young England boys First steps to stardom