Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

62 Yorkshire Captain 1878-1883 innings and took 5-38, as well as executing ‘a wonderful catch at cover- point, having to jump a considerable height before reaching the ball.’ At Cheltenham, rain led to a drawn match but Emmett batted well for 44 (hitting ‘with great resolution’ and ‘by his plucky batting’ putting ‘quite a different appearance on the game’) and took 4-54, including the wicket of his old friend, WG. Rain ruined the game at The Oval against Surrey at the end of August, and Emmett took his leave of the English season and travelled to America with Richard Daft’s team. For Emmett, 1879 was a truncated season. He bowled only half the number of balls of the previous summer and took just over half the number of wickets. His batting average was also considerably lower than it had been. Richard Daft’s side 1879-80 In April 1879, before Emmett’s return from his tour of Australia, Richard Daft, the Nottinghamshire batsman, visited J.B.Wostinholm, the Yorkshire secretary in Sheffield, to discuss his intention of taking a team of cricketers to America the following August. Cricket followers in that country had asked Daft to take a side out, but there was the problem of players needing to leave before the end of the county season in England. The Nottinghamshire county committee had promised to help if Daft could defer his departure until 15 August. The Americans had also indicated they would prefer if Daft could start on or about 24 August, at which point the Nottinghamshire county side had just one game left. Yorkshire The Over-30s side for the game with the Under-30s in July 1879. (Roger Mann)