Lives in Cricket No 48 - Maurice Leyland

when the people of Wombwell, Kilner’s home town, and other towns in the area turned out in force to pay tribute to one of their favourite sons. Considering the events of the previous month or so Maurice could been excused an uncertain start to the new season but the fact is, at Worcestershire in the second week of May, he took three wickets and hit his then highest ever score of his career, 247. Not for the first time, or the last, he seemed to thrive on adversity and battle all the harder. His career progress had been steady rather than spectacular in the years that immediately followed his first class debut for Yorkshire against Essex in August 1920, although he had established himself as an accomplished county player by the time he went into action in the summer of 1928. His opening knock at Worcester was followed by 133 not out against Essex, at Leyton, in the following game and by the end of May he had 570 first class runs to his credit. Maurice had served notice of intent with a century in the 1927 Test Trial and, not surprisingly, the England selectors once again began to take an interest in his performances. He was duly called up to play for The Rest against England in this year’s trial game at Lord’s in June but there was to be no repeat of his representative debut. This time he made just 11 in the first innings, before being bowled by Maurice Tate - a man destined to become one of his greatest friends in the game - and was then caught and bowled by Vallance Jupp for 21 in the second. On the plus side his unorthodox left arm wrist spin had been used much more by the county following the loss of Roy Kilner and he produced a very creditable ten over stint for only 32 runs, albeit without a wicket, in the England innings. On his return to county cricket Maurice, clearly putting the disappointment of Lord’s behind him, took it out on the Glamorgan attack for the second time in three years. In 1926 he hit 191 in the game at Swansea, putting on a club record 276 run stand for the sixth wicket with Emmott Robinson (124 not out), and when he took on the Welshmen again, at Huddersfield, on June 27, he had another field day. Percy Holmes and Edgar Oldroyd went quite early in the innings, to leave Yorkshire on 64 for two, but Maurice then came 1928, an unforgettable year 68