Lives in Cricket No 48 - Maurice Leyland

79 Against the best Apart from anything else there was a hint of controversy about his call up for he replaced skipper Percy Chapman. The word was going around that Chapman had been dropped but tour manager Frederick Toone quickly issued an official contradiction stating, “Mr Chapman, himself, submitted the names of the players for the Fifth Test match, not the committee. He said he did not want to play, owing to his not feeling sufficiently recovered in health.” Though never one to dwell on setbacks, or get drawn into side issues Maurice, couldn’t help but think of his scoreless international debut against the West Indies, the previous summer, and veteran Middlesex batsman Patsy Hendren was also very aware of what might be going through his partner’s mind when he came out to join him. Speaking on his return, at a Yorkshire Council smoking concert, at the Griffin Hotel, Leeds, Maurice talked about his first innings and especially mentioned Hendren’s part in helping him through. “I was very nervous when it came tomy turn to bat, atMelbourne, but everyone was very kind to me,” he explained: The ribbing from my team mates also helped. They said, ‘don’t go out and play like you do for Yorkshire, trying to hit every ball for six, just go along and stop there’. When I went in Patsy Hendren came down the wicket and said; ‘I’m scoring fast enough for both of us. As soon as you see a reasonable chance you take it. I want you to get off the mark, and then you can look after yourself.’ The chance came, and I took it. Every three or four overs afterwards Patsy came down the wicket. ‘You’re doing all right,’ he said. ‘Keep on like that’. So, I just did as I was told,” he joked. He went on to describe the occasion as “The greatest day of my life”, and added, “there was no prouder man in the world”. That feeling was well justified. After tea on the first day England lost Hobbs for 142, to leave them on 235 for three, and at the close it was 240 for four. Ernest Tyldesley went early next day and, at 261 for five, Maurice came out to join Hendren. Exercising caution at first, they steadily added 140 before Hendren was caught by Percy Hornibrook off Alan Fairfax still five short of his century. Maurice was missed