Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

37 (44*) and A.F.Smith (27), he pushed Yorkshire to 287. Emmett’s batting forced a series of bowling changes as he scored ‘at a tremendous pace’. Assisted by Smith and Lockwood, Emmett put on over 100 in 75 minutes, securing his own century – after a period of nervousness - with two off Grace (G.F.) to much applause from the crowd of around 4,000. Having reached 104, Emmett lifted a ball from W.G.Grace and was caught superbly at the square-leg boundary by F.A.Carter, ‘just on top of the bank’ with the sun in his eyes. Emmett left the field to tremendous cheering, with the score 193-4. One local paper reminded its readers that he had given two difficult chances on the previous evening, but otherwise his innings had been ‘faultless’ and his hitting ‘particularly clean and determined’. He scored one five (hitting Townsend round to leg, the ball travelling all the way to the entrance of the ground, reportedly some 200 yards away), 10 fours, four 3s and thirteen 2s, having shown ‘great hitting form’. Unfortunately, Yorkshire’s second innings score was only enough to set a small target of 66, but Hill and Rowbotham managed to take five wickets before defeat came. Smith – whose recollection nearly 30 years later was not entirely accurate, claiming he had scored 48, rather than actually 27 – explained to ‘Old Ebor’ that he had been in with Emmett before he was given out leg before wicket to W.G.Grace. According to Smith, ‘Tom remarked, ‘Oh, Doctor, nowhere near out.’ The Doctor was going to apologise when Tom. said, ‘No need to apologise, Doctor; it won’t bring back the wicket.’ 27 Emmett ended the summer with the highest season’s batting average of his career – over 23 in all first-class games. One observer commented that his ‘improvement in batting has been more marked than that of anyone playing in first-class matches. Though left-handed he plays quite straight, The Great All-rounder (1872-1877) W.G.Grace – Emmett’s great adversary.