Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

81 ‘Owd Evergreen’ 1884-1888 at Emmett’s contributions, one paper observing that he was ‘perhaps, one of the most remarkable revivals of the present season – his bowling this year being of the most extraordinary description; and the executive who thought him not good enough for a whole season’s engagement must feel comfortably out of their reckoning at the rare form Tom has shown this season.’ Athletic News too commented on the ‘want of judgement’ shown by the Yorkshire committee in not giving Emmett and Peate a full season’s engagement. A week later, the two men bowled Derbyshire out for 57 in a game which Yorkshire won inside four sessions. Emmett was then selected to play for the Players of England against Australia at Sheffield, a game for which each player received £10, a sum not deemed enough by some of the Nottinghamshire players who, except for Sherwin, declined to appear. Over 19,000 attended on the first day and Emmett was loudly applauded when he came out to bat. During Australia’s innings, he bowled tightly and tormented some of the batsmen, conceding only 41 runs in 42 overs, and taking five wickets. Nothing, however, could prevent an Australian victory. At the end of July, Emmett captained another Players of England side against the Australians at The Oval. Spofforth took 8-62 in the first innings and the visitors secured a 44-run lead, before the great Australian bowler, with another 6-34, and Midwinter, dismissed the Players for 71. Bonnor hit Emmett three times in one over into the pavilion, and the Australians needed just 28 to win. The game ended in confusion, however, with just 11 runs needed. Bad feeling in the crowd had built up earlier, with some spectators attempting to put Bannerman off when taking a catch. Now, when Bonnor was out, the bell for lunch rang. M’Donnell began to walk back to the pavilion, but calls of ‘Play On’ began, initially from just a few people, but then grew into ‘a wave of groans, yells, and uncomplimentary shoutings’. Emmett was unsure what to do and went into the pavilion for instructions. After seeing Murdoch, he went out and called his men in. His request for the match to be played out to what was likely to be a fairly quick conclusion was refused by the Australians and the players left the field. Cricket then reported that some of the crowd behaved in a ‘very disorderly manner’ and the police arrived to clear them away and protect the square. The Sportsman called it a ‘blot upon on the page of British cricket’, noting that both the Surrey Club and the Australians were being abused as ‘money grabbing swindlers’. The crowd broke on to the wicket, pushed aside those protecting it, tore up the stumps and refused to allow them to be reset despite police involvement. The Surrey secretary, Charles Alcock was manhandled and the police attempted unsuccessfully to make an arrest. Emmett led his side out twice, and the umpires took their place where the stumps had been, which was now strewn with paper. Some of the crowd – which apparently included clergymen and ‘persons of evidently good position’ - camped out on the field, before there was a rush on the pavilion, which the police repelled. A large detachment of police reinforcements eventually arrived and reportedly handled some of