Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

130 but he did so with an air of a man who was thoroughly enjoying himself and loving the notoriety that he gained. He helped to bring in the crowds to watch Yorkshire, providing a template for the type of player that Yorkshire cricket followers valued most. Emmett brought charisma and life to a game that too often forgot it was a form of entertainment. As Richard Daft put it, Tom Emmett was ‘all wire and whipcord; one of the very best bits of stuff a cricketer was ever made of.’ Tom Emmett also rode the emerging wave of the commercial ‘sporting revolution’ of the second half of the 19th century, selling his skills, expertise and personality as best he could. He demonstrated the game could and should be played hard, but with a smile. He showed that to be successful, a player needed to adapt and innovate, take chances, but also put in hard graft and make the best of his gifts. For over twenty years, Emmett was the true spirit of Yorkshire cricket. Personality, performance and popularity