Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

56 Yorkshire Captain 1878-1883 contrast, Emmett and Ulyett were guaranteed all expenses and paid £200. Interestingly, Emmett was apparently not a first-choice professional. Ulyett and Morley were originally selected, but owing to illness in his family, Morley had to drop out, and Emmett took his place. The team sailed to Galle in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and then arrived in Glenelg at the start of December 1878. A steamer was chartered to land the players and they were greeted by a welcoming committee, before being conveyed to Adelaide in drags lent for the occasion. The amateurs were put up in apartments, and Harris and Hornby and their wives in the best hotel. Emmett and Ulyett were booked into a separate hotel. Emmett wrote a letter during the tour which was widely publicised back home in the press. He noted that they had had a good trip but that he, Lord Harris and A.N.Hornby’s wife had been the worst sailors. On arrival, the players soon had a chance to practice, although on a very bad wicket. Initial reports were positive, one paper reporting ‘Our old friends Emmett and Ulyett batted and bowled well, and in both departments they are likely to do well, as they did two seasons ago.’ Emmett was also described as ‘an old favourite here – skilful with the bat and ball and brilliant in the field.’ A week or so after arriving, Emmett was on form against a South Australian XVIII, taking 9-45 and 5-53 in a tiring 56 overs. The press in Adelaide quoted Emmett as saying that local cricketers had improved a lot since his previous visit, but the reporter clearly saw this as patronising, commenting that ‘we scarcely needed such an assurance’ given the decision by the local committee, backed by public opinion and the players, to put out only Eighteen against the visitors. The touring side then played against Victoria, where Emmett had exhausting figures of 74-36-114-7 and 64-41- 69-3. After the game it was noted that ‘Emmett is the Emmett of two years ago. Not much pretence at style, but for all that one of the most difficult men of the lot to get rid of, especially if runs are badly wanted.’ The state game was a warm up for the Test match, which began on 2 January 1879 and started disastrously. Harris won the toss and decided to bat, but within a short time his side were 26-7, Emmett being the third of a Spofforth hat-trick. Only Absolom (52) and Harris (33) made any runs in an innings of 113. Australia fared far better, helped by poor English fielding which was described by Emmett in some detail. He commented ‘I have seen more mistakes in those two matches in Melbourne than I expected to have seen all the time we were out; how it is I can only account for by the strong light out here, the sky being of such a deep blue that it makes your eyes dazzle, and you cannot judge a catch at all.’ The Australians secured a lead of 143, and with England only adding 160, Australia ended with an easy 10 wicket victory. Emmett personally had a good game, and was undefeated at the end on 24 not out, to add to an impressive 7-68 in 59 overs. Amongst his wickets was Spofforth, who was caught by Royle in an over which started with two wides and a boundary. Despite his efforts, Emmett commented ‘we lost our first big match in the colonies, and, although we are awfully weak in bowling, yet no-one can blame the bowling for losing that match. It was