Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

16 Early days (1841-1866) The Nottinghamshire match was notable for some absentees. George Freeman was apparently not asked to play by the Bradford committee, which had organised this match, and Atkinson was not released by his employer, Mr Vaughan, the Middlesbrough ironmaster, giving rise to a lot of comments on the ground. Thus, Emmett had his chance and he stepped into the gap very effectively, bowling ‘fast round left-hand – a puzzling ball, breaking back’. He opened the bowling with Luke Greenwood, and took 5-33 in the first innings, as well as the only wicket to fall in the second Nottinghamshire innings, as the home side won by nine wickets. He had quite a bit of luck as three batsmen pulled the ball into their wickets, but he ‘evidently puzzled the Notts players, and he appears likely to prove a gain to his county.’ Subsequently, one of Emmett’s Yorkshire colleagues in the match, Ike Hodgson, finally succumbed to illness and exhaustion in August, and was unable to fulfil his obligation to play in the north-east for North Shields against All-England. In his place, he sent Emmett, who took seven wickets for the local side, including Tinley, Anderson, Parr and Rowbotham, and batted well with ‘some careful and judicious play’. By the end of 1866, it was clear that Tom Emmett was trusted by his more famous contemporaries, and could hold his own with the best.