Lives in Cricket No 48 - Maurice Leyland

Against the best 84 Bodyline In the summer of 1932 there was only one Test played, against an Indian side, and the middle order left hander’s spot went to Lancashire’s Eddie Paynter. In fairness, Maurice could not complain for he had never got into his stride; to the end of May he had only 164 runs from eight games. After scores of 19, 18, five, 74, one, 43 and no score in the next four games, he was one of the nine players left twiddling their thumbs while Sutcliffe (313) and Holmes (224 not out) ran up their record 555 run opening stand against Essex, at Leyton, and he missed the Middlesex game at Lord’s. So, eight weeks into the season, 14 games gone and only 324 runs scored - at this point Australia must have looked only marginally closer than the moon to Maurice. Yet another century partnership with Sutcliffe against Sussex yielded 72 runs and, on Monday, June 27, in the middle of the England versus India Test, Maurice at last showed the selectors what they were missing with a season’s best 189 against Middlesex, at Sheffield, despite having to have a runner throughout the innings. His 28 boundaries kept the involvement of the extra man to a minimum and during this knock he also set up a record breaking 346 run stand, for the second wicket, with Wilf Barber (162) that still stands. But, frustratingly, he then missed two of the next four Championship games; and was unable to bat, through injury, in Yorkshire’s game against India; and come the first of August, the second day of the Roses clash at Old Trafford, Maurice’s season’s aggregate stood at 725. It was certainly an improvement on the opening month but a long way from the sort of form the England selectors were looking for. Suddenly, it all changed. Now fully fit he quickly made up for lost time. His score in the Lancashire game was 91 and in Championship games alone, this month, he hit over 900 runs. Among those were a relatively modest 45 against Essex, in the blazing heat at Scarborough, which formed part of an incredible 149 run partnership with Sutcliffe in only 55 minutes. In one six over spell the two men added 102 runs and Sutcliffe was finally out for 194. More significantly, undoubtedly influencing his selection for the Australian trip, Maurice managed impressive