Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

61 Yorkshire Captain 1878-1883 Some time after arriving in England, as Mr. Mackinnon did not receive the chair, he asked Emmett what had become of it. The answer was received in the broad Yorkshire dialect that during the voyage the chair was gradually broken to pieces and eventually been thrown overboard and as there was strong wind blowing, Emmett was surprised that Mr. Mackinnon had not received it. On his return, Emmett dived straight into the 1879 English season, giving a number of interviews and playing at Fenner’s for an English XI against Cambridge University, where he took 7-54 and 5-26, and at Lord’s in his first match of the season for Yorkshire. He was also in the United North side that played Rochdale, and at the start of June appeared in Alfred Shaw’s benefit match. The county season started well. Yorkshire’s visit to Lord’s to play Middlesex was highly successful, with Bates the most effective bowler in an eight-wicket victory. At Hull against Surrey, Emmett did not need to bowl in the first innings as Hill and Bates dismissed the visitors for 50, but he then took 4-9 as the visitors scored just 58 and lost by an innings despite Yorkshire scoring just 118. Against Kent a few days later, Peate was in devastating form and Yorkshire beat Nottinghamshire by nine wickets at the end of June, with Hill, Peate and Bates sharing the wickets. Defeats against Lancashire, Derbyshire (twice) and Kent followed, although things improved at Sheffield at the end of July when Yorkshire beat Gloucestershire by seven runs, having followed on 125 runs behind, and with the visitors only needing 71 to win. According to a report ‘The result was hailed with tremendous applause and throwing of hats. Such lively doings are very seldom witnessed on any cricket field, and the Yorkshire men are deserving of every praise for the way in which they achieved a grand victory.’ The bad news for Emmett was that, according to Athletic News , he had had a bet on (mentioned above) with another Yorkshire player, William Bates, at 50 to 1 that Gloucestershire would win. The paper assumed Emmett happily paid over the bet, and Emmett claimed later that he never gave it a moment’s thought, being so keen to win. Contradicting his statement over the winter that he only laid a bet on a cricket match on two occasions, the paper also mentioned that Emmett had previously lost a bet at 20-1 that Oscroft, on 98 in the North v South match at The Oval, would reach a century, which he then failed to do. Emmett was extremely busy in the summer, despite some terrible weather. He appeared for the United North team on occasions, and in July, played not only in three Yorkshire games, but also in both Gentlemen v Players contests, for the North v South, and for the Over 30 v Under 30, appearing in London, Sheffield, Manchester, Maidstone and Liverpool in just a few weeks. In all, he played 22 days of first-class cricket that month, and it would have been more but for early finishes. He rounded it off with an appearance for the United North against Gentlemen of Liverpool. In August, a memorable 118 by Billy Bates was the centrepiece of a Yorkshire score of 353 against Lancashire, which led to another victory – by an innings and 80 runs. Emmett eventually brought himself on in the second