Lives in Cricket No 48 - Maurice Leyland

were double the Roses gate that year. The match itself always looked in danger of finishing in a draw. Nottinghamshire made 246 in their first innings and with ‘Lol’ Larwood taking four for 70 in 29 overs, including bowling Maurice for eight, Yorkshire managed just a 54 run lead on first innings. Bill Bowes managed six wickets in the Nottinghamshire’s first innings but, while typically economical, he couldn’t find a breakthrough in the second; he and Macaulay bowled 48 overs between them without taking a wicket against a side without the injured Willis Walker. Maurice, much to the delight of the crowd, was brought on to bowl third change and managed to bowl the obstinate Keeton for 58, Butler was caught by Cyril Turner for five and, gaining full revenge for his own first innings dismissal, he bowled his old pal Larwood for seven to finish with three for 35 and leave Nottinghamshire all out for 229 - 175 ahead. The total needed for victory was low enough but there just wasn’t the time to get the runs. In fact, there was only enough time for 13 overs but that didn’t prevent some rare entertainment in those last few minutes. Despite Jardine announcing, on the eve of the tourists’ arrival in 1934, that he, “had neither the desire or intention of playing against the Australians this season”, and despite their hostile reception at Trent Bridge against Nottinghamshire, the Bodyline furore was beginning to die down. Most people in the game eventually formed the view that ‘fast leg theory’ was not perhaps in the best interest of the game if used extensively. However, at the request of Maurice, who was at the crease, Larwood and Voce, reviving memories of their Australian triumph, treated the crowd to a brief exhibition of the deadly art with Maurice himself under attack. As it happened he emerged unscathed and at the close he was undefeated on 32 while Larwood went off wicketless. * The summer of 1934 was undoubtedly Maurice’s personal best in Test cricket although all the hard work of 1932-33 was of no avail as England lost the final Test at the Oval, giving the tourists a two-one series win, and lost the Ashes that had been so traumatically won 18 months earlier. To find out more, so filling Ashes to Ashes 96