Lives in Cricket No 48 - Maurice Leyland

95 Chapter nine Ashes to Ashes (1934, 1936-37) On the morning of Saturday, May 6, 1933, the Duchess of Athol finally docked back in Britain, at Greenock, and, eight months after setting off on one of the greatest adventures of his life, Maurice was reunited with the waiting Connie. Together, they enjoyed a brief holiday in Scotland but, having missedYorkshire’s games against Oxford, the MCC and Cambridge, he walked out behind Brian Sellers a week later for the opening Championship game of the season against Derbyshire, at Hull.. There was no fairytale start, getting out for no score and four in a low scoring victory for Yorkshire, but Maurice nevertheless managed to top the county averages with 2,196 runs, at 54.90, this season as Yorkshire completed a third successive Championship triumph. Unfortunately his one Test match of the summer, against the West Indies, yielded only one run and, despite his county form, he was to spend a rare winter at home while the MCC went off to India. Still, there was plenty to look forward to in 1934. As well as the possibility of renewing his battle with the old enemy, Australia, he was also granted a benefit by Yorkshire. It was to prove a disappointing season for the reigning county champions, finishing sixth, but with Maurice and Hedley Verity playing in all five Australian Tests, Herbert Sutcliffe appearing in four and Bill Bowes playing in three, not to mention the limitations on Bowes and George Macaulay through illness, Yorkshire were without key players in several games. Maurice managed only 1,228 runs for Yorkshire - in all games, but, to that total, he did add the 478 runs in the five Tests against Australia, that made him England’s top batsman of the summer with an average of 68.28. As a whole, this was undoubtedly a thoroughly satisfactory year and there was a treat in store for fans who turned out on the last day of his benefit match against Nottinghamshire, at Headingley, on Tuesday, July 3. The Yorkshire fans certainly showed their appreciation of Maurice. Over the three days 38,1773 people paid at the turnstiles, nearly 15,000 more than the next biggest gate - against the Australians, at Sheffield, and the gross takings of £2,460