Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

35 Chapter Four The Great All-rounder (1872-1877) ‘Emmett had a most ungainly action bowling and a most remarkable action batting; he was one of the cricketers who defied analysis and baffled criticism .’ R.H.Lyttelton, 1898. In the early 1870s, cricket in Yorkshire was changing on and off the field. Playing surfaces and ground-keeping equipment improved, turnstiles were installed at the entrances at Bramall Lane to better regulate entry to matches, and an important step was taken in arranging games between the County eleven and a team of Colts as part of efforts to identify new blood. Tom Emmett was now a well-established professional in his early thirties who was a key figure in the Yorkshire side, but also a regular in the representative sides such as the Players or the North. His diary was full of other games, for Middlesbrough until 1874, for Yorkshire United in the mid-1870s, and for All-England until 1874. He also signed up for a new North of England eleven in December 1877. Emmett was one of the great bowlers of England, but it was during this period that his batting also improved and he began to justify all-rounder status. His determination to contribute whatever the stage of the game, and his willingness to practise and improve his performance began to have an effect. Emmett’s 1872 season began with 6-56 and two important scores against Middlesex at the Prince’s Ground in a two-wicket win, and he top scored against the MCC with 20 in a poor innings of 96. In the first game, he and Pinder batted at 10 and 11, and in the second, they opened the batting, which suggested a great deal of flexibility in the line-up, especially since Emmett then went in at numbers three and five against Lancashire in the next game. In June, his employers at Middlesbrough would not release him for the game against Surrey, which Freeman and Clayton also missed, meaning that Yorkshire was ‘crippled in the bowling department’. Emmett instead appeared against the All-England Eleven for his local club. His subsequent return for Yorkshire’s game with Nottinghamshire was important in avoiding an even bigger defeat, his 45 in the second innings and seven wickets in the match being a significant contribution. Yorkshire struggled during the summer of 1872. After the Surrey and Nottinghamshire defeats, they were beaten by Lancashire and Nottinghamshire within a few days, and then suffered at the hands of W.G.Grace (who made 150 and took 15-79) at Sheffield, losing to Gloucestershire by an innings. Emmett missed the match because he was due to play for Middlesbrough against Keighley, although in fact he did not play in that game either due to illness. He returned at The Oval where Lockwood (121) and 42 not out from Pinder at number 10, set up a