Lives in Cricket No 48 - Maurice Leyland

Against the best 91 that Maurice’s selection for the tour was, in fact, with a view to opening in the Tests and after that game in Adelaide he was the clear favourite to partner his Yorkshire team mate Sutcliffe. But, while that particular job was eventually shared between Wyatt and Jardine, himself, Maurice did go on to play a crucial part in England’s success, not least with those scores at Adelaide and Brisbane. With the Ashes already won, after Brisbane, there was some pressure off the players and following the final Test at Sydney the party moved on to New Zealand, where Maurice sat out the two Tests, and from April 4 the second half of a round the world tour began. First port of call was Suva, in the Fijian Islands, and from there to the Waikiki beach at Honolulu and inevitable adornment with Hawaiian ‘leis’, the garlands of flowers hung around visitors’ necks. In Honolulu Maurice, a keen film fan, was delighted to spot Hollywood stars of the silent screen like Norma and Constance Talmadge, and 1930s double act Bert Wheeler and Bob Wolsey. The party found themselves back on dry land when the SS Aorangi docked at Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and they were once again given a great reception by the exiled Brits. From there they experienced yet another trip of a lifetime when they travelled via the Canadian Pacific Railway over the Rockies and across the prairie to Toronto - with a quick taxi ride around Winnepeg during a break in the journey. There were more social events in Toronto with more sight seeing - along the shores of Lake Ontario and to the Niagra Falls, and finally to Montreal where the party boarded the RMS Duchess of Atholl for the final leg of the journey. On board the Duchess of Atholl the fastidious Jardine was still dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. The long suffering Connie, back home in Harrogate, was going through her third long separation from her beloved Maurice in only five years of marriage. Jardine, attentive to every detail, had sent her a Christmas card from Queensland during the tour and Connie, as well as writing to Maurice of course, had also written to the England skipper. In acknowledgement of that letter Jardine replied: