Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

89 ‘Owd Evergreen’ 1884-1888 If his career as a regular Yorkshire cricketer was coming to an end, Emmett did not disappear from view, and his opinions continued to be sought on cricket matters. In an interview in early 1888, Mordecai Sherwin, the captain of Nottinghamshire, was asked about the debate around an alteration to the ‘leg before wicket’ rule. In response to the assertion that Tom Emmett was strongly in favour of it, Sherwin commented ‘Yes; he’s continually bowling on the off-side to get a man caught in the slips or at the wicket. When he is bowling, his arm is six feet off the wicket. If a batsman steps across his wicket to get at an off-ball from a bowler like that, and it whips back on to him, he is to be given out under the new rule, if the umpire thinks it would have hit the wicket.’ In March, Emmett responded in a letter published in the Sheffield Independent, commenting in detail and adding: the bat is the proper weapon of defence, and the sooner the leg play is done away with the better....To use his legs, which is becoming general, is a disgrace to the game and an insult to the bowler...Anything that tends to minimise drawn matches in cricket is good for the game. I should advocate more balls to the over. For the 1888 season, Emmett was engaged at Bradford Cricket Club, along with Amos Marshall and James Yeadon, both of whom had appeared briefly for Yorkshire. He was on a good contract and a benefit was fixed for early August. In March, it was reported that he had sent in his resignation to Yorkshire County Cricket Club, although he might play ‘occasionally’ when needed. Some felt that Emmett’s evident departure from the county side should have been marked better. A discussion of Ulyett’s successful benefit prompted the Sheffield Daily Telegraph to think again about Emmett and suggest that the Yorkshire committee might think of ‘a fitting way of recognising the services of one of the most wonderful cricketers who ever donned pads.’ Regardless of his age, Emmett had no shortage of cricket engagements of all kinds to fulfil. At the start of May, he made a duck for Bradford against Harrogate but took 7-15 to set up an easy win. A few days later, he played for C.I.Thornton’s side against Cambridge University. Here he, Peel and A.Hearne bowled the undergraduates out twice for under 100. Emmett bowled in masterly style, taking 5-15 in 20 overs and 3-36 in 36 overs to help secure a 10-wicket victory. The Leeds Mercury described him (unimaginatively) as an ‘evergreen’ and noted he had taken five wickets in 14 overs for six runs. It marvelled that he would be 47 in September. In similar vein, Athletic News questioned whether Yorkshire could afford to leave him out of the side as he had started the season in rare form. It was also suggested locally that Emmett would ‘probably get plenty to do’ and clubs would ‘doubtless secure Emmett’s services as often as they can get him to play. He is a rare good man to have in a team, especially in a good fielding side.’ Burnley was one such club which made arrangements for him to play for them on occasions. In May, Emmett also appeared for Bradford at Saltaire. ‘Old Ebor’ described the scene in some detail, with the beautiful surroundings and a band playing from the terrace, getting quite