Lives in Cricket No 48 - Maurice Leyland

77 Chapter eight Against the best (Australia 1928-29, 1930, 1932-33) Warwick Armstrong’s 1921 side was the first Australian team Maurice encountered - though only as a spectator. Having made his first team debut the previous summer, the 20-year-old was never really in contention for a place in the Yorkshire side to face the tourists at Bradford, on May 11, and he had to content himself with watching as Aussie all-rounder Jack Gregory caught the eye with an unbeaten 104. Although Yorkshire managed to get a draw out of that game the full England side were not so fortunate; by the time Herbert Collins arrived with his 1926 tourists England was struggling to remember what the Ashes looked like. Maurice was now established in the Yorkshire side, but his opening scoring sequence this season was not brilliant: Cambridge University (33 and six), Derbyshire (31 and 45), Worcestershire (four), Leicestershire (50), Essex (41), Lancashire (29), Warwickshire (eight), Kent (no score) and Somerset (37). Having been asked to open with Arthur Mitchell in the game against Australia, at Bradford, in the week leading up to the first Test, he had little chance to impress. In the first innings he was stumped for 18, off leg spinner Clarrie Grimmett, andmade just 11 not out before rain on the third day and the match was abandoned as a draw. The Test match at Nottingham, and the next three, also ended in draws and though Yorkshire had a second game with the Australians, at Sheffield, just after the first Test, play was only possible on the middle day and Maurice neither batted or bowled. However, it was in defence of the trophy that Maurice finally made his Ashes debut in the winter of 1928-29. The newcomer, while expressing his delight at the prospect of travelling half way round the world to face the Australians, played down his selection by stating that, in his opinion, “I consider myself to be very lucky indeed. I thought there were at least two men who had more right to go as far as batsmanship was concerned.” But, that didn’t stop him being desperately disappointed at having to wait so long for his Ashes debut. It was Saturday, September 15 when Maurice and the England party set sail from London on the Orient Line’s SS Otranto. The