Lives in Cricket No 50 - Tom Emmett

95 The later years (1889-1904) were quite good’. Rockley Wilson, who later played for Yorkshire on 66 occasions between 1899 and 1923, was also at Rugby during Emmett’s time. He told Cricket in 1905 that although he would have been about 55, Emmett ‘could bowl so well that it was easy to imagine how good he must have been in his prime. Even then he had a horrible ball which came with his arm in the most bewildering manner.’ The Kent amateur, E.W.Dillon, also remembered Emmett’s enthusiasm when he ran the winter shed, but said he was confused by his frequent call to ‘Coom aht!’ to a ball he bowled on the off side. Another player who was exposed to Emmett’s coaching was E.H.D.Sewell, who played for Essex and London County at the turn of the century. He wrote later about his time at Bedford School, where Emmett was engaged for a while. Sewell said: In either 1888 or 1889 old Tom Emmett of Yorkshire put in some coaching, and I know he made me, if not others, think by saying I should never be much of a bowler but would be a batsman. As I made very few runs about then....[and] generally got a few wickets when put on, this dictum on the part of old wide-and-a-wicket Tom ran rather counter to such ideas as existed among the School heads about my abilities. Despite the successful transition to coaching at Rugby, matters back home still affected Emmett’s life. In May 1889, he was involved in a legal action brought by a James Ellison against Emmett and his brother, Robert (who now lived in America) for the recovery of £472 10s on a promissory Emmett as coach: Whitelaw House, Rugby School 1890. P.F.Warner is in the middle at the left hand end. (Rugby Library and Information Centre, Warwickshire County Council and Andrew Smith).