Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

109 of the nervous system. The immediate cause of his death was a cerebral haemorrhage – a stroke – which he survived for four hours, but which led to his death in the presence of one of his daughters. News of Emmett’s death was received by Lord Hawke at Birmingham the following day, where Yorkshire were playing against Warwickshire. Hawke passed on the news to the rest of the team at the lunch break, which was extended to three o’clock out of respect for Emmett. The flag on the ground was flown at half-mast and, in keeping with the sombre mood, rain fell heavily during the break and the players did not return to the field until 3.30pm. Hawke later spoke to reporters, describing Emmett as a hero and commenting: He was a fine sportsman and a trier to the last ounce. Old Tom was never beaten; he always came up smiling, and was a pattern to all young players. Genial and kindly, Emmett was the best of good fellows, and it was with regret that he, personally, learnt of the death of an old colleague. The later portion of Emmett’s life had been particularly sad, but the county authorities had done their utmost to brighten his later years by the pension they had allowed him. The Leeds Mercury also commented that ‘Tom Emmett was a delightful companion, full of the joy of life, always ready to help a youngster on the road to success, a man who never knew when he was beaten, and a trier to the last ounce.’ The only other player in the Yorkshire side that day who had played in the same side as Emmett was David Hunter. He commented that he had only appeared a few times with him ‘but in that brief period he had learnt to appreciate the worth of the old bowler.’ Others paid tributes. At the annual general meeting of the Cricketers’ Fund Friendly Society at Lord’s a few days after Emmett’s death, Lord Harris described him as ‘one of the most genial and hardest triers among cricketers’, although he acknowledged that he had died a disappointed man, ‘his mind being affected by several troubles.’ The national and local press in England and in Australia included numerous warm and appreciative tributes. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph commented that: one more of the links between the present and past of Yorkshire county cricket is removed, and it is certain that, though the hero of so many splendid performances has been out of harness so long, his death will be sincerely mourned by very many who, years ago, found keen a delight in his cricket. Emmett was more than a cricketer. He was a humorist of the first rank, and there was no more popular personality on any of our grounds than he. The London Daily News said that ‘The broad-acred shire has produced no cricketer more worthy or characteristic of its cricketing traditions than Tom Emmett. He was built on the heroic plan.’ Emmett was remembered fondly in Australia too. The Evening Journal in Adelaide, for example, included a detailed summary of his career, headed simply, ‘Cricketer and Humorist’. The later years (1889-1904)