255-402: Sir Leonard Hutton (23 June 1916 – 6 September 1990) was an English cricketer . He played as an opening batsman for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1934 to 1955 and for England in 79 Test matches between 1937 and 1955. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack described him as "one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket ". He set a record in 1938 for the highest individual innings in
510-546: A nervous breakdown . Despite his absence, England employed what were already becoming known as the Bodyline tactics against the Australian batsmen and won an ill-tempered match. The public clamoured for the return of Bradman to defeat Bodyline: "he was the batsman who could conquer this cankerous bowling... 'Bradmania', amounting almost to religious fervour, demanded his return". Recovered from his indisposition, Bradman returned to
765-456: A public school education who had then gone to one of Cambridge or Oxford University . Society insisted that such people were "officers and gentlemen" whose destiny was to provide leadership. In a purely financial sense, the cricketing amateur would theoretically claim expenses for playing while his professional counterpart played under contract and was paid a wage or match fee; in practice, many amateurs claimed more than actual expenditure, and
1020-431: A wicket at each end, each comprising two bails (small sticks) balanced on three stumps . Two players from the batting team, the striker and nonstriker, stand in front of either wicket holding bats , while one player from the fielding team, the bowler, bowls the ball toward the striker's wicket from the opposite end of the pitch. The striker's goal is to hit the bowled ball with the bat and then switch places with
1275-460: A $ 5 commemorative gold coin with Bradman's image. In 2009, he was inducted posthumously as an inaugural member into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame . Donald George Bradman was the youngest son of George and Emily (née Whatman) Bradman, and was born on 27 August 1908 at Cootamundra , New South Wales (NSW). He had a brother, Victor, and three sisters – Islet, Lilian and Elizabeth May. Bradman
1530-523: A 315-run opening partnership—he was chosen to play for England against New Zealand in the first Test match of the season. On 26 June, he made his Test debut at Lord's Cricket Ground , scoring 0 and 1. Retaining his place in the England team after scoring centuries for Yorkshire in the following games, he scored his maiden Test hundred on 24 July in the second Test at Old Trafford, Manchester . He batted for three-and-a-half hours to score exactly 100 runs and shared
1785-508: A Test match in only his sixth Test appearance, scoring 364 runs against Australia , a milestone that stood for nearly 20 years (and remains an England Test record 84 years later as of 2023). Following the Second World War, he was the mainstay of England's batting. In 1952, he became the first professional cricketer of the 20th century to captain England in Tests; under his captaincy England won
2040-654: A Test selector, a journalist and broadcaster. He also worked as a representative for an engineering firm until retiring from the job in 1984. Hutton remained involved in cricket, and became president of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1990. He died a few months afterwards in September 1990, aged 74. Hutton was born on 23 June 1916 in the Moravian community of Fulneck , Pudsey , the youngest of five children to Henry Hutton and his wife Lily (née Swithenbank). Many of his family were local cricketers and Hutton soon became immersed in
2295-413: A Test. In its summary of the tour, Wisden said that Hutton showed mastery over every bowler. The correspondent wrote, "From first to last no batsman compared with Hutton ... Considering the weight of his many responsibilities and worries, Hutton played magnificent cricket". The press were generally supportive despite reservations over his caution. Swanton and Alan Gibson later credited England's recovery in
2550-454: A ball in the air and legitimately knocked it away from his wickets with his bat; in doing so, he prevented a catch being taken and was given out. This remains the only such instance in Tests. Hutton ended the Test series with 378 runs at an average of 54.00. Late in the season, he scored a century against Gloucestershire to become the second Yorkshire player after Sutcliffe to complete centuries against
2805-427: A bit of wood on the fire to keep it going. He looked after himself, he was very much of a loner." Cricket First-class cricket One Day International Limited overs (domestic) Twenty20 International Twenty20 (domestic) Other forms Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field , at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre; 66-foot) pitch with
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#17331068781323060-461: A brand new custom-built Chevrolet . At each stop, Bradman received a level of adulation that "embarrassed" him. This focus on individual accomplishment, in a team game, "... permanently damaged relationships with his contemporaries". Commenting on Australia's victory, the team's vice-captain Vic Richardson said, "...we could have played any team without Bradman, but we could not have played
3315-413: A captain and administrator, Bradman was committed to attacking, entertaining cricket; he drew spectators in record numbers. He hated the constant adulation, however, and it affected how he dealt with others. The focus of attention on Bradman's individual performances strained relationships with some teammates, administrators and journalists, who thought him aloof and wary. Following an enforced hiatus due to
3570-521: A century opening partnership with Charlie Barnett . Hutton's remaining two innings in the Test series yielded 14 and 12, giving him 127 runs at an average of 25.40. Also in 1937, Hutton made his first appearance for the Players against the Gentlemen at Lord's. In total that year he scored 2,888 runs, more than double his previous seasonal best, at an average of 56.62 and including ten centuries. He also recorded
3825-460: A certain England selection in the future, critics thought Hutton slightly dull and pedestrian. Yorkshire remained unconcerned; cricket writer Alan Hill believes Hutton's subsequent success was built on this initial establishment of a defensive technique. His achievements brought limited recognition, owing to the high level of expectation surrounding him. This sense of frustration was heightened by comments from Sutcliffe in 1935, when he wrote that Hutton
4080-514: A cheque for £1,000 in appreciation of his achievement. The match ended in anti-climax as poor weather prevented a result, as it also did in the Fourth Test. In the deciding Test at The Oval , England made 405. During an innings stretching over three days due to intermittent rain, Bradman made yet another multiple century, this time 232, which helped give Australia a big lead of 290 runs. In a crucial partnership with Jackson, Bradman battled through
4335-514: A collared shirt with short or long sleeves; long trousers; woolen pullover (if needed); cricket cap (for fielding) or a safety helmet; and spiked shoes or boots to increase traction. The kit is traditionally all white, and this remains the case in Test and first-class cricket, but in limited overs cricket, team colours are now worn instead. i) A used white ball. White balls are mainly used in limited overs cricket , especially in matches played at night, under floodlights (left). The essence of
4590-486: A combination of a very easy wicket for batting and an unusually weak bowling attack presented an ideal opportunity. Former England captain Bob Wyatt described the innings as one of the greatest feats of concentration and endurance in the history of the game. Some critics expressed distaste at England's approach, but this opinion was not widely shared. In the aftermath of the innings, Hutton became famous, in constant demand from
4845-540: A difficult session when England fast bowler Harold Larwood bowled short on a pitch enlivened by the rain. Wisden gave this period of play only a passing mention: On the Wednesday morning the ball flew about a good deal, both batsmen frequently being hit on the body...on more than one occasion each player cocked the ball up dangerously but always, as it happened, just wide of the fieldsmen. A number of English players and commentators noted Bradman's discomfort in playing
5100-661: A disagreement with the committee led him to resign the captaincy. He played for Pudsey until 1945, batting successfully and helping the team to the Priestley Cup, but his relationship with the club remained strained and he did not play for them again after 1945. When the war ended in 1945, a programme of first-class matches was organised, involving counties and other teams. A series of matches was played between England and an Australian Services cricket team , called Victory Tests although they were not official Test matches. Hutton played in all three games with mixed success. He scored 46 in
5355-454: A fence, part of the stands, a rope, a painted line, or a combination of these; the boundary must if possible be marked along its entire length. In the approximate centre of the field is a rectangular pitch (see image, below) on which a wooden target called a wicket is sited at each end; the wickets are placed 22 yards (20 m) apart. The pitch is a flat surface 10 feet (3.0 m) wide, with very short grass that tends to be worn away as
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#17331068781325610-454: A harsh learning experience. Caught on a sticky wicket , Australia were all out for 66 in the second innings and lost by 675 runs (still a Test record). Following scores of 18 and 1, the selectors dropped Bradman to twelfth man for the Second Test. An injury to Bill Ponsford early in the match required Bradman to field as substitute while England amassed 636, following their 863 runs in
5865-598: A highly popular format, putting the longer formats at risk. The new shorter format also introduced franchise cricket, with new tournaments like the Indian Premier League and the Australian Big Bash League . The ICC has selected the T20 format as cricket's growth format, and has introduced a T20 World Cup which is played every two years; T20 cricket has also been increasingly accepted into major events such as
6120-460: A hunt for new talent. Mindful of Bradman's big scores for Bowral, the association wrote to him, requesting his attendance at a practice session in Sydney. He was subsequently chosen for the "Country Week" tournaments at both cricket and tennis, to be played during separate weeks. Bradman's boss presented him with an ultimatum : he could have only one week away from work, and therefore had to choose between
6375-454: A hypochondriac who used his health as an excuse not to play. Hutton was a reserved man for whom the Yorkshire dressing room clashes of the 1950s held little appeal. As the side's senior professional, he did not always provide the guidance which younger players in the side were seeking. The team was divided and the players frequently clashed with each other; some critics believe this was a factor in
6630-452: A key difference is the existence of a solid target structure, the wicket (originally, it is thought, a " wicket gate " through which sheep were herded), that the batter must defend. The cricket historian Harry Altham identified three "groups" of "club ball" games: the "hockey group", in which the ball is driven to and from between two targets (the goals); the "golf group", in which the ball is driven towards an undefended target (the hole); and
6885-467: A local real estate agent who encouraged his sporting pursuits by giving him time off when necessary. He gave up cricket in favour of tennis for two years but resumed playing cricket in 1925–26. Bradman became a regular selection for the Bowral team; several outstanding performances earned him the attention of Sydney newspapers. Competing on matting-over-concrete pitches , Bowral played other rural towns in
7140-461: A modest 'thank you'." England were favourites to win the 1930 Ashes series, and if the Australians were to exceed expectations their young batsmen, Bradman and Jackson, needed to prosper. With his elegant batting technique, Jackson appeared the brighter prospect of the pair. However, Bradman began the tour with 236 at Worcester and went on to score 1,000 first-class runs by the end of May ,
7395-410: A narrow first-innings lead. Surviving an early scare when a bouncer from Lindwall nearly knocked his cap onto his wickets, Hutton scored 82. In reply, Australia collapsed before the England spinners and England scored the necessary 132 runs to win their first series against Australia since 1932–33 and their first such home series win since 1926. Wisden praised Hutton's strategy and tactical sense, and he
7650-523: A neighbour, from whom Hutton received coaching in Sutcliffe's garden. Sutcliffe was impressed by the young batsman, and commended him to Yorkshire as a good prospect. Following this endorsement, Hutton went to the county's indoor practice shed at Headingley in February 1930. George Hirst , a former Yorkshire cricketer responsible for assessing and coaching young players, believed that Hutton's batting technique
7905-542: A professional as captain the Selection Committee made a vital decision in the interests of England, because it should mean that in future no man will be picked as leader unless he is worth a place in the side." Hutton had not expected to be asked and had thought an amateur would have been appointed as usual. He presumed his appointment was an interim measure until a more suitable candidate could be found. Before his home crowd at Headingley, Hutton's first match as captain
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8160-426: A professional captain, the professional Denis Compton was made vice-captain, but Brown came to rely more on Hutton than on Compton for advice. The tour selectors, in an attempt to strengthen the batting line-up, asked Hutton to bat in the middle order rather than his usual position as opener. He batted well in the early games but the team struggled. In the first Test, England dismissed Australia for 228 before rain made
8415-468: A record individual score in Tests—which he himself would surpass eight years later. Later that year, Hutton enrolled at Pudsey Grammar School where he spent a year studying technical drawing and quantitative work before joining his father at a local building firm, Joseph Verity. After becoming a professional cricketer, Hutton continued to work for the company during winter months until 1939. By 1933, Hutton
8670-529: A season. After 16 months of continuous cricket, Hutton chose to miss the 1947–48 winter MCC tour of the West Indies . However, injuries severely affected that team, and its captain Gubby Allen requested reinforcements. Subsequently, Hutton flew out to join the tour; Immediately after he arrived, having travelled for four days, Hutton played against British Guiana , scoring 138 and 62 not out, before appearing in
8925-530: A series-levelling victory amid hopes that Bodyline was beaten. The Third Test at the Adelaide Oval proved pivotal. There were angry crowd scenes after the Australian captain Bill Woodfull and wicket-keeper Bert Oldfield were hit by bouncers. An apologetic Warner entered the Australian dressing room and was rebuked by Woodfull. Woodfull's remarks (that "...there are two teams out there and only one of them
9180-427: A serious approach to all matches, to the point where he missed some enjoyment of the game. Kilburn wrote that the "outstanding characteristic of his captaincy was shrewdness. He made no romantic gestures; he lit no fires of inspiration. He invited admiration rather than affection and would have exchanged either or both for effective obedience." Some of his selections as captain were widely debated. Following incidents in
9435-432: A serious injury to his arm while taking part in a commando training course. His arm never fully recovered, forcing him to alter his batting style. When cricket restarted, Hutton resumed his role as one of England's leading batsmen; by the time of England's tour to Australia in 1950–51 , the team relied heavily on his batting and did so for the remainder of his career. As a batsman, Hutton was cautious and built his style on
9690-445: A single innings of 20 overs (each "over" being a set of 6 fair opportunities for the batting team to score) and the game generally lasts three to four hours. Traditionally, cricketers play in all-white kit , but in limited overs cricket , they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by the ball, which is a hard, solid spheroid made of compressed leather with
9945-711: A slightly raised sewn seam enclosing a cork core layered with tightly wound string. The earliest known definite reference to cricket is to it being played in South East England in the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire , with the first international matches in the second half of the 19th century. The game's governing body is the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has over 100 members, twelve of which are full members who play Test matches. The game's rules,
10200-486: A sound defence. Although capable of attacking strokeplay, both Yorkshire and England depended on him, and awareness of this affected his style. Hutton remains statistically among the best batsmen to have played Test cricket. Hutton captained the England Test team between 1952 and 1955, although his leadership was at times controversial. His cautious approach led critics to accuse him of negativity. Never comfortable in
10455-585: A substantial role on the tour. A poor communicator, Hutton distanced himself from his team when a stronger lead was required. Trueman and Bailey thought Hutton found it hard to talk to his players: amateur critics considered this an inevitable consequence of a professional leading other professionals. On the other hand, Hutton played a key role in the development of fast bowlers Trueman, Tyson and Brian Statham . Tyson and Statham later acknowledged his advice and encouragement as factor in their subsequent success. Cowdrey also acknowledged Hutton's advice and assistance when
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10710-409: A surgeon operated immediately. Bradman lost a lot of blood during the four-hour procedure and peritonitis set in. Penicillin and sulphonamides were still experimental treatments at this time; peritonitis was usually a fatal condition. On 25 September, the hospital issued a statement that Bradman was struggling for his life and that blood donors were needed urgently. "The effect of the announcement
10965-537: A total of 537, and although cautious once more, the Wisden editor believed his captaincy helped to secure a win. Following this match, the selectors appointed Hutton captain for the rest of the series. In the final two Tests, Hutton scored 104 and 86 and his bowlers dominated the Indian batsmen. The drawn final Test was ruined by weather, but England won the four match series 3–0, and Hutton scored 399 runs at an average of 79.80; in
11220-410: A week later, against Surrey, when Hutton became the thirteenth player to achieve the landmark. He followed this immediately with 194 not out against Nottinghamshire and 100, in the drawn fourth Test at Headlingley. In the final Test, which England won to take the series, Hutton became the first man in Tests, and only the fourth in all first-class cricket, to be given out obstructing the field : he edged
11475-416: A winner or tie.) The wicket-keeper (a specialised fielder behind the batter) and the batters wear protective gear because of the hardness of the ball, which can be delivered at speeds of more than 145 kilometres per hour (90 mph) and presents a major health and safety concern. Protective clothing includes pads (designed to protect the knees and shins), batting gloves or wicket-keeper's gloves for
11730-449: Is certain that cricket was being played c. 1550 by boys in Surrey . The view that it was originally a children's game is reinforced by Randle Cotgrave 's 1611 English- French dictionary in which he defined the noun " crosse " as "the crooked staff wherewith boys play at cricket", and the verb form " crosser " as "to play at cricket". One possible source for the sport's name
11985-423: Is drawn four feet in front of the bowling crease and parallel to it; although it is drawn as a 12 ft (3.7 m) line (six feet on either side of the wicket), it is, in fact, unlimited in length. The return creases are drawn at right angles to the popping crease so that they intersect the ends of the bowling crease; each return crease is drawn as an 8 ft (2.4 m) line, so that it extends four feet behind
12240-635: Is known, through numerous references found in the records of ecclesiastical court cases, to have been proscribed at times by the Puritans before and during the Commonwealth . The problem was nearly always the issue of Sunday play, as the Puritans considered cricket to be "profane" if played on the Sabbath , especially if large crowds or gambling were involved. According to the social historian Derek Birley , there
12495-542: Is playing cricket") were leaked to the press, and Warner and others attributed this to Australian opening batsman Jack Fingleton ; however, for many years (even after Fingleton's death) a bitter war of accusation passed between Fingleton and Bradman as to who was the real source of the leak. In a cable to the MCC, the Australian Board of Control repeated the allegation of poor sportsmanship directed at Warner by Woodfull. With
12750-556: Is the Old English word " cryce " (or " cricc " ) meaning a crutch or staff. In Samuel Johnson 's Dictionary , he derived cricket from " cryce , Saxon, a stick". In Old French , the word " criquet " seems to have meant a kind of club or stick. Given the strong medieval trade connections between south-east England and the County of Flanders when the latter belonged to the Duchy of Burgundy ,
13005-460: Is the earliest mention of adult participation in cricket and it was around the same time that the earliest known organised inter-parish or village match was played, at Chevening, Kent . In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall died after he was accidentally struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. Cricket remained a low-key local pursuit for much of the 17th century. It
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#173310687813213260-787: The Laws of Cricket , are maintained by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . The sport is followed primarily in South Asia , Australia , New Zealand , the United Kingdom , Southern Africa , and the West Indies . Women's cricket , which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. The most successful side playing international cricket is Australia , which has won eight One Day International trophies, including six World Cups , more than any other country, and has been
13515-567: The Asian Games . The resultant growth has seen cricket's fanbase cross one billion people, with 90% of them in South Asia. T20's success has also spawned even shorter formats , such as 10-over cricket (T10) and 100-ball cricket , though not without controversy. Outside factors have also taken their toll on cricket. For example, the 2008 Mumbai attacks led India and Pakistan to suspend their bilateral series indefinitely. The 2009 attack on
13770-511: The Berrima District competition. Against Wingello , a team that included the future Test bowler Bill O'Reilly , Bradman made 234. In the competition final against Moss Vale , which extended over five consecutive Saturdays, Bradman scored 320 not out. During the following Australian winter (1926), the ageing Australian team lost The Ashes in England, and a number of Test players retired. The New South Wales Cricket Association began
14025-629: The British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas, and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in Australia , the Caribbean , British India (which includes present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh ), New Zealand , North America and South Africa . In 1862, an English team made the first tour of Australia. The first Australian team to travel overseas consisted of Aboriginal stockmen who toured England in 1868 . In 1876–77, an England team took part in what
14280-461: The Dukes of Richmond , exerted their honour code of noblesse oblige to claim rights of leadership in any sporting contests they took part in, especially as it was necessary for them to play alongside their "social inferiors" if they were to win their bets. In time, a perception took hold that the typical amateur who played in first-class cricket, until 1962 when amateurism was abolished, was someone with
14535-499: The Nottinghamshire fast bowlers Harold Larwood and Bill Voce as the spearheads for his tactics. In support, the England selectors chose another three pacemen for the squad. The unusually high number of fast bowlers caused a lot of comment in both countries and roused Bradman's own suspicions. Bradman had other problems to deal with at this time; among these were bouts of illness from an undiagnosed malaise which had begun during
14790-760: The Priestley Cup . Senior figures within Yorkshire cricket identified him as a potential successor to Percy Holmes as an opening partner to Sutcliffe; at this stage in his career, Hutton was also considered a promising leg spin bowler. In the 1933 season Hutton was selected for the Yorkshire Second Eleven. Although he failed to score a run in either of his first two innings, over the season he scored 699 runs at an average of 69.90. Yorkshire appointed Cyril Turner as Hutton's mentor; Hedley Verity and Bowes also offered Hutton guidance in his early career. Hutton made his first-class debut for Yorkshire in 1934, at
15045-524: The South Australia team (SA). Unknown to the public, the SA Cricket Association (SACA) instigated Hodgetts' approach and subsidised Bradman's wage. Although his wife was hesitant about moving, Bradman eventually agreed to the deal in February 1934. In his farewell season for NSW, Bradman averaged 132.44, his best yet. He was appointed vice-captain for the 1934 tour of England . However, "he
15300-422: The first-ball duck was his first in a Test. The crowd fell into stunned silence as he walked off. However, Australia took a first innings lead in the match, and another record crowd on 2 January 1933 watched Bradman hit a counter-attacking second innings century. His unbeaten 103 (from 146 balls) in a team total of 191 helped set England a target of 251 to win. Bill O'Reilly and Bert Ironmonger bowled Australia to
15555-522: The pads on and open the second innings. By the end of play, he was 205 not out, on his way to 225. Against Queensland at the SCG, Bradman set a then world record for first-class cricket by scoring 452 not out; he made his runs in only 415 minutes. Not long after the feat, he recalled: On 434...I had a curious intuition...I seemed to sense that the ball would be a short-pitched one on the leg-stump, and I could almost feel myself getting ready to make my shot before
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#173310687813215810-522: The short, rising delivery . The revelation came too late for this particular match, but was to have immense significance in the next Ashes series. Australia won the match by an innings and regained the Ashes. The victory made an impact in Australia. With the economy sliding toward depression and unemployment rapidly rising, the country found solace in sporting triumph. The story of a self-taught 22-year-old from
16065-500: The sporting goods retailer Mick Simmons Ltd. In the first match of the Sheffield Shield season, he scored a century in each innings against Queensland . He followed this with scores of 87 and 132 not out against the England touring team, and was rewarded with selection for the first Test, to be played at Brisbane . Playing in only his tenth first-class match, Bradman, nicknamed "Braddles" by his teammates, found his initial Test
16320-402: The top-rated Test side more than any other country. Cricket is one of many games in the "club ball" sphere that involve hitting a ball with a hand-held implement. Others include baseball (which shares many similarities with cricket, both belonging in the more specific bat-and-ball games category ), golf , hockey , tennis , squash , badminton and table tennis . In cricket's case,
16575-569: The "cricket group", in which "the ball is aimed at a mark (the wicket) and driven away from it". It is generally believed that cricket originated as a children's game in the south-eastern counties of England, sometime during the medieval period . Although there are claims for prior dates, the earliest definite reference to cricket being played comes from evidence given at a court case in Guildford in January 1597 ( Old Style , equating to January 1598 in
16830-594: The "greatest sportsperson" in history. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 is considered by some to be the greatest achievement by any sportsman in any major sport. The story that the young Bradman practised alone with a cricket stump and a golf ball is part of Australian folklore . His meteoric rise from bush cricket to the Australian Test team took just over two years. Before his 22nd birthday, he had set many records for top-scoring, some of which still stand, and became Australia's sporting idol at
17085-453: The 1935 season delayed Hutton's appearance on the cricket field that year. Attempting to return too quickly, he endured poor health which limited his subsequent appearances and effectiveness; by the middle of August he had scored a total of just 73 runs. A century against Middlesex led to run of bigger scores, and his contribution to Yorkshire's County Championship victory that season was 577 runs at an average in first-class matches of 28.85. In
17340-471: The 1938 season, with an Ashes series against Australia pending, Hutton made three centuries and scored 93 not out. Selected for a Test trial, he shared a century opening partnership with Bill Edrich , and was selected for the first Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham beginning on 28 June. In just over three hours, Hutton scored 100 from 221 deliveries on his Ashes debut, adding 219 with Charlie Barnett for
17595-418: The 1939 season, Wisden noted the development of Hutton into a more exciting batsman to watch, observing that he "gave further evidence of being one of the world's greatest batsmen". He began to dominate opening partnerships with Sutcliffe, in contrast to prior seasons when he was the junior partner. In total, he scored 2,883 runs, over 400 more than any other batsman and his average of 62.27 placed him second in
17850-465: The 20th century. But, as widely anticipated by the press, Hutton was appointed to captain England in the first Test of a four-match series against the 1952 Indian tourists. He harboured private doubts whether the cricket establishment would accept a professional captain, but declined to turn amateur, as Wally Hammond had done in 1938. The decision met with broad approval from the press, and the editor of Wisden wrote: "In breaking with tradition and choosing
18105-413: The Ashes the following year for the first time in 19 years. Marked out as a potential star from his teenage years, Hutton made his debut for Yorkshire in 1934 and quickly established himself at county level. By 1937, he was playing for England and when the war interrupted his career in 1939, critics regarded him as one of the leading batsmen in the country, and even the world. During the war, he received
18360-570: The Australian bowlers following the war. Achievement and fulfilment were all-in-all to Hutton ... His cricket was never meant to be a joyride, yet he was not a joyless man without humour. His own brand was never far away and might be seen in the twinkle in his blue eyes, a warm smile, in his delphic utterances and enigmatic remarks. As captain, Hutton believed that the key to success was a strong pace attack, stemming from his experiences against Lindwall and Miller, which influenced his selection of several promising fast bowlers. His natural inclination and
18615-481: The Australian fast bowlers and lost the match. After a failure in the first innings, Hutton scored 74 in the second, and briefly established dominance over Miller, who responded with a series of bouncers, one of which struck Hutton on the shoulder and provoked an angry reaction from the crowd. Miller bowled him in very poor light at the start of the fourth day's play. At Lord's in the second Test, also lost by England, Hutton scored 20 and 13, but of more concern to critics
18870-413: The Australian press; newspapers were already sympathetic to Hutton as a professional captain of a class-driven country. The team began the tour well. Hutton made a series of good scores in the opening games. But for the first Test, Hutton did not include a spinner in the team and chose to bowl on winning the toss, an unusual strategy in Australia. The home side scored 601, England dropped 12 catches and, with
19125-467: The Caribbean, Trueman did not play for England again under Hutton's captaincy, although he was still regarded as an England prospect. Jim Laker was also omitted from the team, possibly because Hutton doubted Laker's commitment. Both Jim McConnon , Laker's replacement, and Vic Wilson were controversial choices for the 1954–55 Australian tour, whose selections Trevor Bailey attributed to Hutton; neither played
19380-536: The County Championship matches, he scored more runs at a better average than anyone else in the side. In county matches, Hutton averaged 92.05 and scored eight centuries. Some Yorkshire critics expressed concern at the team's dependence on Hutton and the poor performance of other batsmen. Hutton's main challenge that season came from the Australian side which toured England undefeated and won the Test series 4–0. In
19635-451: The County Championship, affected by the retirement of key players and the frequent loss of Hutton to representative cricket. In the Test matches Hutton did not initially score heavily. His highest innings after three Tests was only 24 runs, and critics called his place into question. He returned to form during the fourth Test, his first at Headingley, with a four-and-a-half-hour century on a difficult pitch for batting. Hutton scored 83 and 36 in
19890-459: The England captain, agreed that the choice was a poor one. Hutton, who escaped most of the debate by playing in Scotland for Yorkshire, found the situation unsettling and Patrick Murphy, a sports journalist, writes that it "served to drive a reserved man further in on himself." Meanwhile, Hutton was chosen to captain the Players against the Gentlemen at Lord's; he scored 59 and 132 not out. Recalled to
20145-426: The England team for the fourth Test at Headingley, Hutton scored 81 and 57. Given an excellent reception by his home crowd, he shared a century opening partnership with Washbrook in both innings, the second time they had accomplished this feat. Critics considered Hutton to be a better batsmen when he returned and that these innings repaired his damaged reputation. Australia needed 404 to win on a pitch favouring spin, but
20400-470: The English selectors saw as a poor example from a leading batsman. The decision generated considerable acrimony, but surprised and pleased the Australians, who felt Hutton was their most formidable opponent with the bat. Press and critics generally judged the omission a mistake, although the Wisden correspondent believed the decision to be correct as Hutton benefited from a break. In later years, Norman Yardley ,
20655-581: The First Test. RS "Dick" Whitington wrote, "... he had scored only nineteen himself and these experiences appear to have provided him with food for thought". Recalled for the Third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground , Bradman scored 79 and 112 to become the youngest player to make a Test century, although the match was still lost. Another loss followed in the Fourth Test. Bradman reached 58 in
20910-405: The Fourth Test, at Adelaide, set a new record for the highest score in a Test in Australia. Australia won nine of the ten Tests played over the two series. At this point, Bradman had played fifteen Test matches since the beginning of 1930, scoring 2,227 runs at an average of 131. He had played eighteen innings, scoring ten centuries, six of which had extended beyond 200. His overall scoring rate
21165-436: The Fourth Test. Bradman started slowly and then, "...the old Bradman [was] back with us, in the twinkling of an eye, almost". He went on to make 140, with the last 90 runs coming in just 45 minutes. On the opening day of the Fourth Test at Headingley (Leeds), England were out for 200, but Australia slumped to 3/39, losing the third wicket from the last ball of the day. Listed to bat at number five, Bradman would start his innings
21420-525: The MCC he would tour Australia as captain or player as required, and both men remained on good personal terms throughout. Robins, seeing the strength of opinion, backed down. When Hutton returned to cricket in July, scoring two centuries, he was appointed captain of the MCC for the winter tour. Returning to captain a slightly weakened team for the fourth and final Test, Hutton failed with the bat, and Pakistan recorded their first Test victory. In his three Test innings of
21675-457: The MCC on a tour of West Indies. Before the team left England, critics queried his appointment, arguing that a professional captain was unsuitable to lead a tour. Hutton's authority was also compromised by the MCC, who did not give him the tour manager he requested; instead, they appointed the inexperienced Charles Palmer , the Leicestershire captain, who had already been selected as a player on
21930-571: The Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, " met de (krik ket)sen " ("with the stick chase"). Gillmeister has suggested that not only the name but also the sport itself may be of Flemish origin. Although the main object of the game has always been to score the most runs , the early form of cricket differed from the modern game in certain key technical aspects; the North American variant of cricket known as wicket retained many of these aspects. The ball
22185-474: The SCG, against the Sheffield Shield champions Victoria . Despite his potential, Bradman was not chosen for the Australian second team to tour New Zealand. Bradman decided that his chances for Test selection would be improved by moving to Sydney for the 1928–29 season, when England were to tour in defence of the Ashes . Initially, he continued working in real estate, but later took a promotions job with
22440-455: The Second World War, he made a dramatic comeback, captaining an Australian team known as " The Invincibles " on a record-breaking unbeaten tour of England. A complex and highly driven man, not given to close personal relationships, Bradman retained a pre-eminent position in the game by acting as an administrator, selector and writer for three decades following his retirement. Even after he became reclusive in his declining years, Bradman's opinion
22695-577: The Sphinx ;... he never seems to perspire". Between these two seasons, Bradman seriously contemplated playing professional cricket in England with the Lancashire League club Accrington , a move that, according to the rules of the day, would have ended his Test career. A consortium of three Sydney businesses offered an alternative. They devised a two-year contract whereby Bradman wrote for Associated Newspapers, broadcast on Radio 2UE and promoted
22950-560: The Sri Lankan team during their tour of Pakistan led to Pakistan being unable to host matches until 2019. In 2017, Afghanistan and Ireland became the 11th and 12th Test nations. In cricket, the rules of the game are codified in The Laws of Cricket (hereinafter called "the Laws"), which has a global remit. There are 42 Laws (always written with a capital "L"). The earliest known version of
23205-475: The Test matches against West Indies. England won the series, after recording victory in the first match and drawing the others. Hutton scored 196 in the first Test, hitting his last 96 runs in 95 minutes; he and Denis Compton scored 248 runs together in 133 minutes. After low scores in the second Test, Hutton scored 73 and 165 not out in the final game at the Oval. Facing a West Indian lead of 146, he batted five hours in
23460-495: The Test series 3–1. After Hutton scored fifty in the first Test, which was won by South Africa, his 100th century almost came during the third Test, when he scored an unbeaten 98 in the second innings to take England to victory. But the innings provoked controversy when Hutton's teammates seemed to decline easy runs to allow Hutton the opportunity to reach his hundred before the end of the match, thereby jeopardising England's chances of victory in unsettled weather. The 100th century came
23715-410: The Test series, at an average of 44.16, critics were disappointed, expecting more after his record innings of 1938. In all first-class matches, he scored 1,168 runs at an average of 64.88, the highest aggregate among the tourists, and accumulated five centuries. Spectators found his batting attractive and the Wisden correspondent regarded him the most accomplished batsman on the tour. In its summary of
23970-526: The Tests, but that he often batted well despite ill health. Bill Bowes, covering the tour as a journalist, believed that Hutton was unable to master bowling faster than he had encountered for eight years, but acquitted himself reasonably well. Hutton's tonsils were removed before the start of the 1947 season but his poor health continued, forcing him to miss some games at the start of the season. Nevertheless, his form remained good and he scored four centuries in early matches. Yorkshire dropped to equal seventh in
24225-422: The afternoon, Bradman added another century between lunch and tea, before finishing the day on 309 not out. He remains the only Test player to pass 300 in one day's play. His eventual score of 334 was a world-record, exceeding the previous mark of 325 by Andy Sandham . Bradman dominated the Australian innings; the second-highest tally was 77 by Alan Kippax . Businessman Arthur Whitelaw later presented Bradman with
24480-481: The age of 17 the youngest Yorkshire player since Hirst, 45 years earlier. In his first match, against Cambridge University , he was run out for a duck but scored an unbeaten 50 runs in his second match; he followed this with another half-century against Warwickshire on his County Championship debut. He played regularly for the rest of the season but to prevent his overexposure to Championship cricket, Yorkshire limited his appearances and returned him periodically to
24735-480: The army in the summer of 1942 and, after a period of recovery, began work as a civilian for the Royal Engineers , inspecting the condition of government-owned properties. Hutton's recovery and return to cricket was closely followed by the wartime press, which kept track of many pre-war cricketers. Hutton resumed professional cricket with Pudsey St Lawrence in 1943, briefly captaining the team before poor results and
24990-526: The attention that went with the captaincy, and he often worried about the impression he was making. Hutton rarely captained Yorkshire, except in the absence of the official captain, through a combination of poor health, frequent absences with England and the presence of the amateur Norman Yardley in the side. Yardley claimed several times that he would have stood down in Hutton's favour, but the committee remained distrustful of professional captaincy and thought Hutton
25245-417: The background to his appointment made him a cautious captain, for example slowing down the game to allow the fast bowlers to rest, which set a precedent for other captains. Tactically, Norman Yardley found him "sound rather than venturesome". Run saving was his main priority, but during matches, he quickly adjusted his approach to attack the weakness of particular batsmen. Jim Kilburn believed that Hutton pursued
25500-465: The ball come to him and play it late. Occasionally, he left a slight gap between his bat and pads, meaning he was sometimes bowled through it when out of form. This arose mainly through the wartime injury to his arm and by 1950 he had adjusted his technique to compensate and had fewer problems. Immediately before the war, Hutton batted in a more attacking style and several of his contemporaries remembered his attractive strokeplay. By his own admission, Hutton
25755-400: The ball was delivered. Sure enough, it pitched exactly where I had anticipated, and, hooking it to the square-leg boundary, I established the only record upon which I had set my heart. Although he was an obvious selection to tour England, Bradman's unorthodox style raised doubts that he could succeed on the slower English pitches. Percy Fender wrote: ...he will always be in the category of
26010-444: The batsmen except Hutton, who always appeared comfortable. Wisden praised his effort as unforgettable. Hutton was chosen to go on the MCC tour of Australia in 1950–51 , under the captaincy of the amateur Freddie Brown . The latter was an unexpected choice as captain, after a struggle to find a suitable amateur for the role. As a compromise aimed at critics who favoured the appointment of
26265-449: The batting team are on the field at any given time. The order of batters is usually announced just before the match, but it can be varied. The main objective of each team is to score more runs than their opponents, but in some forms of cricket, it is also necessary to dismiss all but one of the opposition batters (making their team 'all out') in their final innings in order to win the match, which would otherwise be drawn (not ending with
26520-406: The best English innings of the tour. A string of other good performances drew praise from press and former players; one such report named him the best batsman in the world. However, Hutton failed to reach a score of 50 runs in the first three Tests; in the first, he was out for a first ball duck , and in the second, a short ball from Keith Miller struck him on his injured arm. In the second innings of
26775-471: The best bowling performance of his career, six wickets for 76 against Leicestershire, altogether taking ten wickets in the match—the only time he achieved this. His performances that year earned him selection as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year . The citation praised his attitude, technique, fielding and bowling, noting however that some commentators continued to criticise his overcaution. In early matches of
27030-409: The blind school without Clarrie Grimmett ". A modest Bradman can be heard in a 1930 recording saying, "I have always endeavoured to do my best for the side, and the few centuries that have come my way have been achieved in the hope of winning matches. My one idea when going into bat was to make runs for Australia." In 1930–31, against the first West Indian side to visit Australia, Bradman's scoring
27285-434: The board. In three first-class games against England before the Tests, Bradman averaged just 17.16 in six innings. Jardine decided to give the new tactics a trial in only one game, a fixture against an Australian XI at Melbourne. In this match, Bradman faced the leg theory and later warned local administrators that trouble was brewing if it continued. He withdrew from the First Test at the SCG amid rumours that he had suffered
27540-421: The bowling crease, but is also, in fact, unlimited in length. Before a match begins, the team captains (who are also players) toss a coin to decide which team will bat first and so take the first innings . "Innings" is the term used for each phase of play in the match. In each innings, one team bats, attempting to score runs , while the other team bowls and fields the ball , attempting to restrict
27795-503: The brilliant, if unsound, ones. Promise there is in Bradman in plenty, though watching him does not inspire one with any confidence that he desires to take the only course which will lead him to a fulfilment of that promise. He makes a mistake, then makes it again and again; he does not correct it, or look as if he were trying to do so. He seems to live for the exuberance of the moment. The encomiums were not confined to his batting gifts; nor did
28050-475: The bush who set a series of records against the old rival made Bradman a national hero. The statistics he achieved on the tour, especially in the Test matches, broke records for the day and some have stood the test of time. In all, Bradman scored 974 runs at an average of 139.14 during the Test series, with four centuries, including two double hundreds and a triple. As of 2022, no-one has matched or exceeded 974 runs or three double centuries in one Test series;
28305-479: The code was drafted in 1744, and since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London . Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played on a cricket field (see image of cricket pitch and creases) between two teams of eleven players each. The field is usually circular or oval in shape, and the edge of the playing area is marked by a boundary , which may be
28560-557: The congratulations of the Chief Minister Alexander Bustamante during a tea interval. Hutton apologised, not having noticed Bustamante speaking to him, but was dismissed immediately when play resumed; the incident was prominently reported the following day. England's bowlers bowled out West Indies a second time and England scored the required runs to record a series-levelling victory, West Indies' first defeat in Jamaica in
28815-408: The county won their fourth consecutive championship title. His four centuries included 183 not out against the touring Indian team, but he was less successful in the three Tests, scoring 123 runs at an average of 30.75. England won the series 1–0 but Hutton's only fifty was a defensive innings in the second Test, when he was troubled by a bad back. He was omitted from the Gentlemen and Players match, but
29070-422: The county's failure to win the County Championship in the 1950s. Ray Illingworth , a player at the time, believes that Hutton was the only man who could have changed the negative attitude around the team, but "he didn't do anything about it". Illingworth recalled that he was a "distant hero", saying: "He was a funny man was Len—slightly sarcastic all the time. He'd hear an argument in the dressing room and he'd throw
29325-444: The critical situation, but Alan Gibson believes it was a deliberate ploy to inspire Compton. England went on to draw the final Test in a match ruined by rain. Hutton was out to the fourth ball of the match, but Australia were forced to follow on for the first time by England since 1938, and Hutton took a wicket with the last ball of the match before time ran out. This ended the series, which England won 3–1. Hutton's tactical approach in
29580-404: The criticism extend to his character. "Australia has unearthed a champion", said former Australian Test great Clem Hill , "self-taught, with natural ability. But most important of all, with his heart in the right place." Selector Dick Jones weighed in with the observation that it was "good to watch him talking to an old player, listening attentively to everything that is said and then replying with
29835-430: The curved brick facing of the stand, the ball rebounded at high speed and varying angles—and Bradman would attempt to hit it again. This form of practice developed his timing and reactions to a high degree. In more formal cricket, Bradman hit his first century at the age of 12, with an undefeated 115 playing for Bowral Public School against Mittagong High School. During the 1920–21 season, Bradman acted as scorer for
30090-519: The day... uninvited guests stood on chairs and pews to get a better view"; police erected barriers that were broken down and many of those invited could not get a seat. Just weeks later, Bradman joined a private team organised by Arthur Mailey to tour the United States and Canada. He travelled with his wife, and the couple treated the trip as a honeymoon . Playing 51 games in 75 days, Bradman scored 3,779 runs at 102.1, with eighteen centuries. Although
30345-548: The derisive term "shamateur" was coined to describe the practice. The game underwent major development in the 18th century to become England's national sport . Its success was underwritten by the twin necessities of patronage and betting. Cricket was prominent in London as early as 1707 and, in the middle years of the century, large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury . The single wicket form of
30600-407: The drawn final Test, and England won the series 3–0 with the other two games drawn. Hutton hit 344 runs in the Test series at an average of 44.00; in all first-class matches, he scored eleven centuries and totalled 2,585 runs at an average 64.62, although his achievements that season were overshadowed by those of Denis Compton and Bill Edrich, who both broke the previous record for most runs scored in
30855-455: The drawn first Test, and batted effectively for Yorkshire against the Australians. After dropping three catches in Australia's first innings in the second Test, Hutton scored 145 runs in his first innings. However, he was dismissed early in the second innings; England managed to draw the match, but Hutton faced press criticism for his cautious tactics. Rain prevented a result in the third Test, but Hutton scored 66 and his tactics were praised. After
31110-405: The earliest known contest that is generally considered a First Class match. The patrons and other players from the gentry began to classify themselves as " amateurs " to establish a clear distinction from the professionals, who were invariably members of the working class , even to the point of having separate changing and dining facilities. The gentry, including such high-ranking nobles as
31365-401: The early part of the tour, the Australians, and particularly the pace bowlers Lindwall and Miller, tried to shake Hutton's confidence by targeting him. Although Hutton failed on a difficult pitch in Yorkshire's match against the tourists, he was the only successful batsman against them when he appeared for MCC shortly after. Hutton was selected for the first Test, but England were overwhelmed by
31620-475: The end of the second day, out of a total of 634 for five. In the process he surpassed the previous highest Test score by an England batsman in a home match. Hutton maintained caution throughout; Wisden commented that his dominance of the bowling had become slightly monotonous after two days, although it recognised his skill. On the third day (23 August), the Australians made a concerted effort to dismiss Hutton before he broke Bradman's 1930 record Ashes score of 334—
31875-477: The event, Bradman batted all of the second day and into the third, putting on a then world record partnership of 388 with Bill Ponsford. When he was finally out for 304 (473 balls, 43 fours and two sixes), Australia had a lead of 350 runs, but rain prevented them from forcing a victory. The effort of the lengthy innings stretched Bradman's reserves of energy, and he did not play again until the Fifth Test at The Oval,
32130-456: The existence of players like him who were nominally amateur but, in terms of their financial gain, de facto professional. Grace himself was said to have been paid more money for playing cricket than any professional. The last two decades before the First World War have been called the " Golden Age of cricket ". It is a nostalgic name prompted by the collective sense of loss resulting from
32385-466: The fielding side either catching the ball after it is hit by the bat but before it hits the ground, or hitting a wicket with the ball before a batter can cross the crease line in front of the wicket. When ten batters have been dismissed, the innings (playing phase) ends and the teams swap roles. Forms of cricket range from traditional Test matches played over five days to the newer Twenty20 format (also known as T20 ), in which each team bats for
32640-422: The fifth player (and first Australian) to achieve this rare feat. In his first Test appearance in England, Bradman hit 131 in the second innings but England won the match. His batting reached a new level in the Second Test at Lord's where he scored 254 as Australia won and levelled the series. Later in life, Bradman rated this the best innings of his career as "practically without exception every ball went where it
32895-499: The final game to take the series 2–0, and Hutton finished the Test series with 577 runs at an average of 64.11, while in all first-class matches he recorded 1,477 runs at an average of 73.85. The most successful season of Hutton's career in terms of runs scored was 1949; he scored 3,429 runs at an average of 68.58, the fourth highest aggregate of runs in an English season. In both June and August he scored over 1,000 runs; his 1,294 runs in June
33150-436: The first Test against Pakistan, on their first tour of England, scored a duck and missed the next two matches. In Hutton's absence, the selectors appointed the amateur David Sheppard , a theology student at the time; Sheppard achieved little batting success, but England won one of the two Tests in which he was captain. According to Wisden editor Norman Preston , influential figures within the cricket hierarchy blamed Hutton for
33405-456: The first by eight wickets, and the second by an innings and 20 runs. New Zealand were bowled out for 26 in their second innings, which, in 2018, remains the lowest Test score. In the latter match, Hutton scored 53 batting at number five in his final Test innings. He had played in 79 Test matches, scoring 6,971 runs at an average of 56.67 with 19 hundreds. As England captain in 23 matches, he won eight Tests and lost four, and along with Percy Chapman
33660-631: The first limited overs Cricket World Cup in 1975 . Sri Lanka joined the ranks in 1982. Meanwhile, South Africa was banned by the ICC due to apartheid from 1970 until 1992. 1992 also brought about the introduction of the Zimbabwe team . The 21st century brought with it the Bangladesh Team , who made their Test debut in 2000. The game itself also grew, with a new format made up of 20-over innings being created. This format, called T20 cricket , quickly became
33915-470: The first wicket. England, in Wally Hammond 's first match as Test captain, posted a total of 658 for eight wickets, but the match was drawn. Hutton failed in the second Test, with two single figure scores in another drawn game. He was generally unsuccessful with the bat in the following weeks, during which the third Test was entirely rained off. Following a sequence of low scores for Yorkshire, Hutton's finger
34170-468: The former began his career. Furthermore, on the 1954–55 tour of Australia, Hutton took a close interest in him and was a particular comfort when Cowdrey's father died during the tour. Cricket followers from the south of England remained slightly distrustful of Hutton owing to the perception that he occasionally carried professionalism to excess. When he was appointed England captain, many in the cricketing establishment held his professionalism against him with
34425-512: The four Tests against West Indies. In the first Test, hampered by a finger injury, he scored 39 and 45 as England recorded their only victory of the series. The West Indies won the second Test, their first Test victory in England, and won the final two Tests to take the series 3–1; Hutton missed the third Test with lumbago but in the fourth Test scored 202 not out, carrying his bat through England's first innings. The West Indian spinners Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine caused difficulties for all
34680-408: The fourth time in five series, the Ashes changed hands. England would not recover them again until after Bradman's retirement. Seemingly restored to full health, Bradman blazed two centuries in the last two games of the tour. However, when he returned to London to prepare for the trip home, he experienced severe abdominal pain. It took a doctor more than 24 hours to diagnose acute appendicitis and
34935-450: The game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs , starting with Sussex in 1839. In December 1889, the eight leading county clubs formed the official County Championship , which began in 1890. The most famous player of the 19th century was W. G. Grace , who started his long and influential career in 1865. It was especially during the career of Grace that the distinction between amateurs and professionals became blurred by
35190-424: The game progresses (cricket can also be played on artificial surfaces, notably matting). Each wicket is made of three wooden stumps topped by two bails . As illustrated, the pitch is marked at each end with four white painted lines: a bowling crease , a popping crease and two return creases . The three stumps are aligned centrally on the bowling crease, which is eight feet eight inches long. The popping crease
35445-432: The game quickly grew from 500 tests in 84 years to 1000 within the next 23. Cricket entered a new era in 1963 when English counties introduced the limited overs variant. As it was sure to produce a result, limited overs cricket was lucrative, and the number of matches increased. The first Limited Overs International was played in 1971, and the governing International Cricket Council (ICC), seeing its potential, staged
35700-421: The greatest Test batter of all time. To curb his dominance, England employed bodyline tactics during the 1932–33 Ashes series . These involved bowling at the body of the batter and setting a field, resulting in batters having to choose between being hit or risk getting out. This series moved cricket from a game to a matter of national importance , with diplomatic cables being passed between the two countries over
35955-673: The hamlet of Yeo Yeo , near Stockinbingal . His mother, Emily, gave birth to him at the Cootamundra home of Granny Scholz, a midwife , which is now the Bradman Birthplace Museum. Bradman's mother had hailed from Mittagong in the NSW Southern Highlands and in 1911, when Bradman was about two-and-a-half years old, his parents decided to relocate to Bowral , close to Emily's family and friends in Mittagong, as life at Yeo Yeo
36210-529: The hands, a safety helmet for the head, and a box for male players inside the trousers (to protect the crotch area). Some batters wear additional padding inside their shirts and trousers such as thigh pads, arm pads, rib protectors and shoulder pads. The only fielders allowed to wear protective gear are those in positions very close to the batter (i.e., if they are alongside or in front of him), but they cannot wear gloves or external leg guards. Subject to certain variations, on-field clothing generally includes
36465-630: The height of the Great Depression . This hero status grew and continued through the Second World War . During a 20-year playing career, Bradman consistently scored at a level that made him, in the words of former Australia captain Bill Woodfull , "worth three batsmen to Australia". A controversial set of tactics, known as Bodyline , was specially devised by the England team to curb his scoring. As
36720-500: The high number of short balls bowled by the Australian pacemen, bowled at Hutton as often as three times per over . After the second day was rained off, Hutton was taken ill overnight with tonsillitis , missed the remainder of the match and flew home soon after. In all first-class matches on tour, Hutton scored 1,267 runs at an average of 70.38, while in the Tests, he managed 417 runs at an average of 52.12; he topped both sets of averages. Wisden noted that it took him time to find form in
36975-472: The highest achievers. When he retired, only two men had scored more than his 6,971 Test runs; his average of 56.67 is ninth highest of those who played at least fifty Test matches, while only Sutcliffe has a higher average among openers who scored over 4,000 runs. He also displayed consistency; his annual average only fell below 50 three times, he averaged over 50 each year from 1947 to 1954 and scored 20 or more in 90 of his 138 innings. Hutton's batting technique
37230-494: The highest level. The showpiece match of the season was England against the Dominions at Lord's, but Hutton was prevented from appearing by his commitments to Pudsey. County cricket fully resumed in 1946. Hutton was troubled by his injury; his wrists no longer rotated fully and he abandoned the hook shot . Nevertheless, he scored 1,552 runs at an average of 48.50, and was recognised by Wisden as Yorkshire's most effective batsman as
37485-457: The incident. During this time, the number of Test nations continued to grow, with the West Indies , New Zealand and India being admitted as full Test members within a four-year period from 1928 to 1932. An enforced break during the Second World War stopped Test Cricket for a time, although the Partition of India caused Pakistan to gain Test status in 1952. As teams began to travel more,
37740-412: The injury; Hutton returned to his unit and resumed cricket, scoring a century in one game. However, he began to suffer increasing pain and underwent more surgery to graft bone from his legs onto the injured arm. A first operation failed, but the second attempt at the end of 1941 eventually proved successful. The surgery left him with a left arm almost two inches shorter than the right. He was discharged from
37995-591: The innings closed. Australia were bowled out twice and England won by an innings and 579 runs to draw the series with one victory apiece. Commentators mainly praised Hutton's concentration and stamina; his slow scoring, particularly when compared to Bradman's innings of 334, was excused on the grounds that the Oval match was played without a time limit, and run accumulation was more important than fast scoring. Furthermore, Hammond had instructed Hutton to bat as long as possible. Among views expressed by Test cricketers, Les Ames believed that while Hutton had shown great skill,
38250-462: The key players Evans and Compton injured, lost by an innings; the press blamed Hutton for choosing to bowl. Despite the result, Hutton saw potential in Frank Tyson 's bowling and arranged for Alf Gover , a respected coach who was in Australia as a journalist, to improve and shorten Tyson's run to the wicket. For the second Test, Hutton left out the unfit Alec Bedser, England's most reliable bowler since
38505-415: The latter game, he quickly scored 37, frequently driving the bowling of Miller and Fred Freer before the bat slipped from his hand and hit the wicket, ending the innings. Even so, the display was praised by critics. In the final two Tests, Hutton shared three consecutive century opening partnerships with Cyril Washbrook . A four-hour 94 in the first innings was followed by 76 in the second. Press opinion
38760-496: The leg side from wicketkeeper Don Tallon . Wisden described Hutton as "the one exception to complete failure", while other critics noted he always looked comfortable. Facing a huge deficit in their second innings, England were bowled out for 188. Hutton scored 64, playing a similar defensive role to his first innings. In the Test series, Hutton scored 342 runs at an average of 42.75. In all first-class matches, he reached 2,654 runs at an average of 64.73. Hutton toured South Africa in
39015-435: The livelihoods of other professionals. In 1952, the selectors judged that none of the serving amateur county captains possessed the required ability or experience to fill the role of England captain. Consequently, the selectors decided to radically depart from tradition and appoint a professional captain. All previous England captains in home Test matches had been amateurs, and no professional had captained England in any match in
39270-513: The local Bowral team, captained by his uncle George Whatman. In October 1920, he filled in when the team was one man short, scoring 37 * and 29* on debut. During the season, Bradman's father took him to the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) to watch the fifth Ashes Test match . On that day, Bradman formed an ambition, telling his father: "I shall never be satisfied until I play on this ground." Bradman left school in 1922 and went to work for
39525-405: The match that would decide the Ashes. In the first innings at The Oval, Bradman and Ponsford recorded an even more massive partnership, this time 451 runs. It had taken them less than a month to break the record they had set at Headingley; this new world record was to last 57 years. Bradman's share of the stand was 244 from 271 balls, and the Australian total of 701 set up victory by 562 runs. For
39780-552: The match, he was confirmed as captain for the remainder of the series, and the forthcoming MCC winter tour of West Indies. The fourth Test, in front of Hutton's home crowd, was his least successful of the series. He was bowled second ball by a yorker from Lindwall and England struggled to remain competitive throughout the match. In the fourth innings of the game, Australia needed 177 runs to win, with 115 minutes of play remaining. Hutton used Trevor Bailey to bowl negatively and slow Australia down; his tactics, including time-wasting and
40035-819: The menswear retailing chain FJ Palmer and Son. However, the contract increased Bradman's dependence on his public profile, making it more difficult to maintain the privacy that he ardently desired. In a second-class fixture in November 1931, Bradman scored 100 off 22 balls in a three over spell in a match for Blackheath against Lithgow. Bradman's score of 256 included 14 sixes and 29 fours (notably hitting more sixes in this one innings than he hit in his entire first class career). Bradman's chaotic wedding to Jessie Menzies in April 1932 epitomised these new and unwelcome intrusions into his private life. The church "was under siege all throughout
40290-413: The modern calendar). The case concerned ownership of a certain plot of land, and the court heard the testimony of a 59-year-old coroner , John Derrick , who gave witness that: Being a scholler in the ffree schoole of Guldeford hee and diverse of his fellows did runne and play there at creckett and other plaies. Given Derrick's age, it was about half a century earlier when he was at school, and so it
40545-541: The name may have been derived from the Middle Dutch (in use in Flanders at the time) " krick " ( -e ), meaning a stick (crook). Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word " krickstoel " , meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church that resembled the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket. According to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of Bonn University , "cricket" derives from
40800-431: The national averages behind Hammond. Among his twelve centuries, Hutton scored his highest total for Yorkshire, 280 not out in six hours against Hampshire , sharing an opening partnership of 315 with Sutcliffe. His contributions helped Yorkshire to their third successive Championship. He was also successful in representative matches, scoring 86 for the Players against the Gentlemen, and compiling 480 runs (averaging 96.00) in
41055-406: The next day. That evening, Bradman declined an invitation to dinner from Neville Cardus , telling the journalist that he wanted an early night because the team needed him to make a double century the next day. Cardus pointed out that his previous innings on the ground was 334, and the law of averages was against another such score. Bradman told Cardus, "I don't believe in the law of averages". In
41310-415: The nonstriker, with the batting team scoring one run for each of these exchanges. Runs are also scored when the ball reaches the boundary of the field or when the ball is bowled illegally . The fielding team tries to prevent runs from being scored by dismissing batters (so they are "out"). Means of dismissal include being bowled , when the ball hits the striker's wicket and dislodges the bails, and by
41565-599: The other 16 first-class counties. Brown's resignation from the captaincy of England at the end of 1951 left no obvious replacement candidate. Traditionally, captains in county or Test cricket were amateurs, who usually came from privileged backgrounds, in contrast to professionals, who often came from the working classes. Consequently, class distinction pervaded cricket which was organised and administered by former and current amateurs, many of whom reasoned that professionals would not make good captains owing to their worries over safeguarding their contracts or concerns about affecting
41820-568: The other batsmen made it appear lethal." He scored 156 not out and added 45 more runs in the second innings, but Australia won by 274 runs. With the series lost, England won the final game, their first victory over Australia since the war and Australia's first defeat in 26 matches; Hutton contributed scores of 79 and 60 not out and struck the winning run. Hutton scored 553 Test runs at an average of 88.83, and in all first-class matches accumulated 1,199 runs with five centuries and an average of 70.52. In contrast to his previous Australian tour, Hutton played
42075-401: The outfield when the umpire judged Cliff McWatt was out; Hutton kept his team and the umpires on the field, possibly defusing a dangerous situation. The attitude of some English players inflamed feelings, either through a perceived lack of courtesy, or their negative reactions to events on the field. Some critics held Hutton responsible for this, but the editor of Wisden later wrote: "[Hutton]
42330-447: The passage of time. Bodyline plucked something vibrant from his art. The constant glare of celebrity and the tribulations of the season forced Bradman to reappraise his life outside the game and to seek a career away from his cricketing fame. Harry Hodgetts, a South Australian delegate to the Board of Control, offered Bradman work as a stockbroker if he would relocate to Adelaide and captain
42585-438: The pitch difficult for batting. In reply, England collapsed to 68 for seven before Brown declared to make Australia bat again while the pitch was still treacherous. Australia in turn struggled to 32 for seven, before declaring to leave England needing 193 to win. By the end of the third day's play, victory seemed unlikely as England were 30 for six. Next morning on a slightly easier pitch, Hutton scored 62 not out, an innings which
42840-446: The poor performances of the main bowlers allowed Australia to record a seven wicket win described by Wisden as "astonishing". Hutton's contribution to the second Australian innings was to bowl four overs and concede 30 runs. Australia's dominance in the series was sealed by a crushing win in the fifth Test. England were bowled out for 52 runs in the first innings, of which Hutton scored 30 before being last out to an exceptional catch down
43095-653: The previous winter's events and attempted to replace him as captain. Two former England cricketers, Errol Holmes and Walter Robins , the latter also a selector that year, favoured Sheppard over Hutton and persuaded him to offer his candidacy to captain the MCC in Australia that winter. Sheppard indicated he would accept the post and take a leave of absence from his studies if required. The press speculated that Hutton would step aside, but most newspapers favoured his continued leadership and ran stories alleging MCC prejudice against professional cricketers. Neither Hutton nor Sheppard publicly expressed an opinion, although Hutton informed
43350-460: The public and press who compared him to Bradman. Hutton later described the acclamation he received as one of the worst things that happened to him, not least because expectations were unreasonably high every time he subsequently batted. When the season ended, Hutton had scored 1,874 runs in all matches at an average of 60.45. From October 1938, Hutton toured South Africa with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)—the name by which England teams toured at
43605-506: The rapid rise of the "Boy from Bowral". Selected to replace the unfit Archie Jackson in the NSW team , Bradman made his first-class debut at the Adelaide Oval , aged 19. He secured the achievement of a hundred on debut, with an innings of 118 featuring what soon became his trademarks—fast footwork, calm confidence and rapid scoring. In the final match of the season, he made his first century at
43860-411: The record of 974 runs exceeds the second-best performance by 69 runs and was achieved in two fewer innings. Bradman's first-class tally, 2,960 runs (at an average of 98.66 with 10 centuries), was another enduring record: the most by any overseas batsman on a tour of England. On the tour, the dynamic nature of Bradman's batting contrasted sharply with his quiet, solitary off-field demeanour. He
44115-444: The record score in a Test match was Hammond's 336 not out against New Zealand, but it was compiled against what was perceived as inferior bowling, and Bradman's total was more prestigious. Although showing nerves as he approached the record, Hutton passed Bradman's score with a cut off Chuck Fleetwood-Smith , and extended his score to 364 before he was out, caught. Lasting for more than 13 hours, with 847 balls faced, Hutton's innings
44370-418: The rest of the tour and scored a century in the following state game. Hutton scored 62 in the third Test, but the Australian spinner Jack Iverson , who caused the touring batsmen huge problems all series, bowled Australia to victory. Hutton's form continued in the fourth Test as he carried his bat for the second time in six months. Wisden observed: "Against Hutton the bowling looked almost mediocre, but most of
44625-565: The result that Hutton never felt comfortable dealing with the amateurs who ran English cricket at the time. While captain, he was criticised for caution and negativity but also was expected to lead a successful team at a time when results began to assume a far greater importance than in previous years. Consequently, Hutton never felt secure in the position and was often uncomfortable around the amateur establishment. Like Herbert Sutcliffe, he attempted to alter his accent to match that of leading southern amateurs to help him to fit in. But he did not enjoy
44880-401: The role, Hutton felt that the former amateur players who administered and governed English cricket did not trust him. In 23 Tests as captain, he won eight Tests and lost four with the others drawn. Worn out by the mental and physical demands of his role, Hutton retired from regular first-class cricket during the 1955 season. Knighted for his contributions to cricket in 1956, he went on to be
45135-412: The scoring and dismiss the batters. When the first innings ends, the teams change roles; there can be two to four innings depending upon the type of match. A match with four scheduled innings is played over three to five days; a match with two scheduled innings is usually completed in a single day. During an innings, all eleven members of the fielding team take the field, but usually only two members of
45390-408: The season with 1,690 first-class runs, averaging 93.88, and his first multiple century in a Sheffield Shield match, not out against Victoria, set a new ground record for the SCG. Bradman averaged 113.28 in 1929–30. In a trial match to select the team that would tour England, he was last man out in the first innings for 124. As his team followed on , the skipper Bill Woodfull asked Bradman to keep
45645-584: The season, Hutton scored just 19 runs. Owing to his reduced appearances, Hutton failed to reach 1,000 first-class runs for the first time since 1936, reaching 912 runs at an average of 35.07. Expectations before the Australian tour were low after the confusion of the 1954 summer and some controversial selections. Trueman, Jim Laker and Tony Lock , part of the winning 1953 team, were omitted; Colin Cowdrey and Vic Wilson were included. Hutton further downplayed his team's chances through exaggerating its inexperience to
45900-426: The second eleven. In matches for the first team, Hutton shared large first-wicket partnerships with Wilf Barber and with Arthur Mitchell , before scoring his maiden first-class century in an innings of 196 against Worcestershire . At the time, he was the youngest Yorkshire batsman to score a first-class century. He finished the season with a total of 863 runs at an average of 33.19; An operation on his nose before
46155-464: The second innings and appeared set to guide the team to victory when he was run out . It was to be the only run out of his Test career. The losing margin was just twelve runs. The improving Australians did manage to win the Fifth and final Test. Bradman top-scored with 123 in the first innings and was at the wicket in the second innings when his captain, Jack Ryder , hit the winning runs. Bradman completed
46410-479: The second innings, sharing a partnership of 264 with Hammond. He ended his season with a century against Sussex in Yorkshire's final match before the war; two days after its conclusion, the Second World War began. At the beginning of the war, Hutton volunteered for the army and was recruited to the Army Physical Training Corps as a sergeant-instructor. Although no first-class cricket was played during
46665-405: The second match, Hutton and Washbrook set a new Test match record opening partnership. In easy batting conditions, they shared 359 runs on the first day before Hutton was out for 158 after almost five hours batting. In more favourable bowling conditions in the third Test, Hutton scored 41 and 87, followed by 123 in the fourth game which settled England's second innings at a dangerous time. England won
46920-501: The second match, but was struck painfully on his weak arm by a short ball from Keith Miller , whom he encountered for the first time. After scoring 81 for Yorkshire against the Australian team, Hutton scored 104 and 69 in the final "Test". Another century followed for Yorkshire against the Australians, taking his first-class run aggregate to 782 runs at an average of 48.87 in nine games. Commentators were satisfied that his batting technique remained effective and that he could still succeed at
47175-402: The series and plaudits for attempting to find a solution to Bodyline, although his series average was just 57% of his career mean. Fingleton was in no doubt that Bradman's game altered irrevocably as a consequence of Bodyline, writing: Bodyline was specially prepared, nurtured for and expended on him and, in consequence, his technique underwent a change quicker than might have been the case with
47430-453: The series to Hutton's batting and leadership. In five Tests, he scored 677 runs—his largest aggregate in a series—at an average of 96.71, the highest on either side. In all first-class matches, he made 780 runs at an average of 78.00. Hutton missed large parts of the 1954 season on medical advice, suffering from mental and physical exhaustion brought about by the West Indian tour. He played in
47685-614: The series was praised by Australian and English commentators; they noted how Hutton observed his opponents carefully to spot weaknesses. His caution was criticised, but the main complaint was that he deliberately slowed the speed of play, reducing the number of overs bowled, allowing the fast bowlers to rest and restricting the rate at which Australia scored. With the bat, Hutton scored 220 runs in Tests at an average of 24.44. In all first-class matches in Australia, he scored 959 runs at 50.47. The tour ended with two Tests in New Zealand; England won
47940-409: The shape of a defensive stroke. At one stage, Bradman went thirteen first-class innings without a century, the longest such spell of his career, prompting suggestions that Bodyline had eroded his confidence and altered his technique. After three Tests, the series was locked up 1–1, and Bradman had scored 133 runs in five innings. The Australians travelled to Sheffield and played a warm-up game before
48195-420: The short ball comfortably. Reviewing the tour, Wisden stated, "With Hutton, figures did not lie. He stood head and shoulders above every other batsman and, taking all factors into consideration, worthily earned the description of the finest present-day batsman in the world." Hutton scored 2,145 runs in 1951 with nine centuries, including his 100th in first-class cricket. The South Africans toured England, losing
48450-534: The side in Kippax's position. A world record crowd of 63,993 at the MCG saw Bradman come to the crease on the first day of the Second Test with the score at 2/67. A standing ovation ensued that delayed play for several minutes. Bradman anticipated receiving a bouncer as his first ball and, as the bowler delivered, he moved across his stumps to play the hook shot . The ball failed to rise and Bradman dragged it onto his stumps ;
48705-443: The sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match, its popularity peaking in the 1748 season . Bowling underwent an evolution around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch (bounce) the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batter. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old "hockey stick" shape. The Hambledon Club
48960-413: The sport is that a bowler delivers (i.e., bowls) the ball from their end of the pitch towards the batter who, armed with a bat , is "on strike" at the other end (see next sub-section: Basic gameplay ). The bat is made of wood, usually Salix alba (white willow), and has the shape of a blade topped by a cylindrical handle. The blade must not be more than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) wide and
49215-501: The sport, which he both played and read about with enthusiasm. He practised in the playground of Littlemoor Council School, which he attended from 1921 until 1930, and at Pudsey St Lawrence Cricket Club , which he joined as a junior. At the age of 12, he made his first appearance for Pudsey St Lawrence's second eleven and by 1929 had reached the first team. Locals encouraged him to meet the Yorkshire and England cricketer Herbert Sutcliffe ,
49470-458: The standard of play was not high, the effects of the amount of cricket Bradman had played in the three previous years, together with the strains of his celebrity status, began to show on his return home. "As long as Australia has Bradman she will be invincible ... It is almost time to request a legal limit on the number of runs Bradman should be allowed to make." Within the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which administered English cricket at
49725-451: The support of the MCC, England continued with Bodyline despite Australian protests. The tourists won the last three Tests convincingly and regained the Ashes. Bradman caused controversy with his own tactics. Always seeking to score, and with the leg side packed with fielders, he often backed away and hit the ball into the vacant half of the outfield with unorthodox shots reminiscent of tennis or golf . This brought him 396 runs ( at 56.57) for
49980-449: The team list displayed in the dressing room before the match. Hutton contributed few runs, but Cowdrey and Peter May made large scores and Tyson took seven wickets as Australia were bowled out for 111 in their second innings, giving England a 128-run victory. The fourth Test was crucial, and Hutton's innings of 80 runs in four-and-a-half hours was the highest of the game. Wisden believed Hutton's tactics were instrumental in giving his team
50235-401: The third Test, which England won. He was more successful in the final Tests. In the fourth, on a difficult pitch for batting, he scored 92. The final Test was drawn after ten days of play in a supposedly "timeless" Test. In a match which set a record aggregate of runs, Hutton scored 38 and 55 but his contributions were overshadowed by the heavy scoring of others. Although Hutton scored 265 runs in
50490-501: The third Test. After a century against Jamaica, Hutton played innings of 56 and 60 in the fourth and final Test, giving him 171 runs at an average of 42.75 in the series. He came top of the first-class averages for the tourists, with 578 runs at an average of 64.22, and was judged by Wisden as one of the few batting successes in a team which lost the four-Test series 2–0 and failed to win a single match on tour. During 1948, Hutton scored heavily for Yorkshire. Despite missing more than half
50745-643: The time, few voices were more influential than "Plum" Warner 's, who, when considering England's response to Bradman, wrote that it "must evolve a new type of bowler and develop fresh ideas and strange tactics to curb his almost uncanny skill". To that end, Warner orchestrated the appointment of Douglas Jardine as England captain in 1931, as a prelude to Jardine leading the 1932–33 tour to Australia, with Warner as team manager. Remembering that Bradman had struggled against bouncers during his 232 at The Oval in 1930, Jardine decided to combine traditional leg theory with short-pitched bowling to combat Bradman. He settled on
51000-409: The time—under the captaincy of Hammond; England won the series 1–0, with the other four games drawn. He scored centuries in two early matches but in a match against Transvaal , a delivery from Eric Davies knocked him unconscious and forced him to miss the first Test. Unsuccessful on his return in the second Test, Hutton scored a double century in the following tour match, but had another low score in
51255-513: The toss on a very good pitch for batting, and after an early wicket fell, Hutton and Maurice Leyland , his Yorkshire teammate, took the score to 347 for one wicket after the first day. Hutton was unbeaten on 160 although Australia missed a chance to dismiss him, stumped , when he had scored 40. After a rest day, the Yorkshire batsmen took their partnership to 382 before Leyland was out. Hutton then shared substantial partnerships with Hammond and Joe Hardstaff junior , taking his personal score to 300 at
51510-509: The total length of the bat not more than 38 inches (97 cm). There is no standard for the weight, which is usually between 2 lb 7 oz and 3 lb (1.1 and 1.4 kg). Don Bradman Sir Donald George Bradman AC (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed " The Don ", was an Australian international cricketer , widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. His cricketing successes have been claimed by Shane Warne , among others, as making Bradman
51765-402: The tour as a journalist, described it as Hutton's worst effort in a Test. Bill O'Reilly , another former Australian player working as a journalist, said Hutton seemed to be struggling with concentration and was a shadow of his former self. Following his struggles at Lord's, Hutton was omitted from the team for the third Test. Observers had noticed Hutton backing away from the fast bowlers, which
52020-561: The tour of North America, and that the Australian Board of Control had initially refused permission for him to write a column for the Sydney Sun newspaper. Bradman, who had signed a two-year contract with the Sun , threatened to withdraw from cricket to honour his contract when the board denied him permission to write; eventually, the paper released Bradman from the contract, in a victory for
52275-411: The tour. Palmer's dual role as player and manager blurred the lines of command. Hutton also found some of the professionals in the team to be difficult to lead, particularly Godfrey Evans , and Fred Trueman . Off-field events often overshadowed the cricket. Amid growing independence movements in the region, Hutton believed his team was used as a political instrument to support colonial rule. The situation
52530-534: The touring New Zealanders, all of which were drawn, Hutton scored 469 runs at an average of 78.16. He scored 101 in the first Test, and fifties in the second and third matches, before ending the series with an innings of 206 in the fourth Test, in which the second hundred runs took only 85 minutes. Hutton scored 2,049 runs at an average of 56.91 in the 1950 season. Batting effectively on a succession of early season rain-affected wickets , Hutton frequently top-scored for Yorkshire. Hutton's benefit match against Middlesex
52785-427: The tourists, but withdrew from the final day of the match with lumbago. His uncertain health led him to resign the England captaincy. The selectors made Peter May captain in his place and appointed Hutton as a selector. Hutton played for Yorkshire until the end of June. Against Nottinghamshire, he scored 194 in five hours, his final first-class century. His last 100 runs came in an hour. After the following match, his back
53040-476: The two most accomplished professional batsmen to have played for his country", and following the Second World War, critics regarded him as the best batsman in the world. In October 2010, he was chosen as part of the ESPNCricinfo All-time World XI, a team selected by a panel of respected commentators and cricket writers to represent the greatest cricketers of all time. As part of the same process, he
53295-527: The two sports. He chose cricket. Bradman's performances during Country Week resulted in an invitation to play grade cricket in Sydney for St George in the 1926–27 season. He scored 110 on his debut, making his first century on a turf pitch . On 1 January 1927, Bradman turned out for the NSW second team. For the remainder of the season, he travelled the 130 kilometres (81 mi) from Bowral to Sydney every Saturday to play for St George. The next season continued
53550-434: The upper hand, and in the final innings, England needed 94 to win and retain the Ashes. Early wickets, including Hutton's, fell to Miller, and when the captain returned to the dressing room, he said that Miller had "done us again." Compton, the next man in, replied "I haven't been in yet", and stayed at the wicket until the match was won by five wickets. Many commentators viewed this as a sign that Hutton's reserve had slipped in
53805-460: The use of leg theory , meant Australia could not score the runs in the available time and the match was drawn. It is possible that the idea came from Bailey himself, but the Australian press criticised Hutton for his negativity. In contrast, English critics believed the tactics were justified. Amid great public interest for the deciding fifth Test, Hutton lost his fifth successive toss but replying to Australia's first innings of 275, England established
54060-523: The war, but the period did produce some great players and memorable matches, especially as organised competition at county and Test level developed. In 1844, the first-ever international match took place between what were essentially club teams, from the United States and Canada , in Toronto ; Canada won. In 1859, a team of English players went to North America on the first overseas tour . Meanwhile,
54315-543: The war, league and charity cricket matches continued and Hutton played several high-profile matches in 1940. But in March 1941, his future in cricket was threatened by a serious injury. On the last day of a commando training course in York, Hutton fell in the gymnasium when a mat slipped from under him. He suffered a fractured left forearm and dislocated his ulna at the wrist. By the summer, surgery and rest initially looked to have repaired
54570-445: The war, to include two spinners, but in a low-scoring game, Tyson made the difference and England won by 38 runs. Hutton was unwell before the third Test, suffering from fibrositis and a heavy cold, and had to be persuaded out of bed by members of his team. He decided to play at the last minute and unexpectedly left out Bedser again, although he was fit to play. Hutton neglected to inform Bedser, who only learned of his omission when he saw
54825-523: The whole summer he scored 2,567 first-class runs at an average of 61.11 with eleven centuries. During the 1953 season, Australia toured England having held the Ashes since 1934 but critics considered England to have a good chance of winning the series. Hutton was retained as England captain initially on a match-by-match basis. His health was uncertain and he was troubled by fibrositis which restricted his movement and adversely affected his fielding. He top-scored in both England innings with 43 and 60 not out in
55080-591: The winter of 1935–36 Hutton went on his first overseas tour, as Yorkshire visited Jamaica. In the 1936 season he reached 1,000 runs in a season for the first time—1,282 runs at an average of 29.81—and was awarded his county cap in July. He took part in several large partnerships through the season, including one of 230 with Sutcliffe, although he experienced a sequence of low scores in May and June. Throughout his first seasons, Hutton faced press criticism for his caution and reluctance to play attacking shots. Although regarding him
55335-425: The winter of 1948–49 with the MCC under the captaincy of George Mann . Wisden described Hutton's tour as a succession of triumphs until he tired at the end: "Hutton's driving aroused the greatest admiration, but all his strokes were stamped with the hallmark of class." Before the Test matches began, Hutton scored three centuries and then contributed 83 as England won the first Test. The next three Tests were drawn. In
55590-651: Was bowled underarm by the bowler and along the ground towards a batter armed with a bat that in shape resembled a hockey stick ; the batter defended a low, two-stump wicket ; and runs were called notches because the scorers recorded them by notching tally sticks. In 1611, the year Cotgrave 's dictionary was published, ecclesiastical court records at Sidlesham in Sussex state that two parishioners, Bartholomew Wyatt and Richard Latter, failed to attend church on Easter Sunday because they were playing cricket. They were fined 12 d each and ordered to do penance . This
55845-479: Was "a certainty for a place as England's opening batsman. He is a marvel – the discovery of a generation ... His technique is that of a maestro." Such praise was rare from Sutcliffe, but Hutton found the comments a burden, while others found them embarrassing. After Hutton began 1937 with a series of high scores—including an innings of 271 against Derbyshire , the reigning County Champions, and 153 against Leicestershire two days later when he and Sutcliffe shared
56100-497: Was 42 runs per hour, with 856 (or 38.5% of his tally) scored in boundaries. Significantly, he had not hit a six , which typified Bradman's attitude: if he hit the ball along the ground, then it could not be caught. During this phase of his career, his youth and natural fitness allowed him to adopt a "machine-like" approach to batting. The South African fast bowler Sandy Bell described bowling to him as, "heart-breaking ... with his sort of cynical grin, which rather reminds one of
56355-538: Was a "great upsurge of sport after the Restoration " in 1660. Several members of the court of King Charles II took a strong interest in cricket during that era. Gambling on sport became a problem significant enough for Parliament to pass the 1664 Gambling Act, limiting stakes to £ 100, which was, in any case, a colossal sum exceeding the annual income of 99% of the population. Along with horse racing , as well as prizefighting and other types of blood sport , cricket
56610-643: Was a good defensive technique, although he was able to accelerate and play attacking shots when the situation demanded. Cricket historian David Frith believes that "there was an apparent touch of genius about his batsmanship", and Alan Gibson described Hutton's off drive as "the glory of the game." He was particularly effective on difficult batting pitches. Of the next generation of England batsmen, Peter May tried to adopt Hutton's mental approach to both batting and captaincy, while Colin Cowdrey later said "I had tried to model myself on Len Hutton ever since I started playing serious cricket." Statistically, Hutton stands near
56865-428: Was a record for a single month and only Herbert Sutcliffe had previously passed 1,000 runs for a calendar month twice in a season. He scored a double century against Lancashire, only the second for a Yorkshire batsman in the fixture. With Hutton available for more matches than in the previous few seasons, Yorkshire shared the County Championship with Middlesex, their last success until 1959. In the four Test matches against
57120-408: Was a success, although his tactics were cautious. The Wisden correspondent wrote: "For Hutton the match was a personal triumph. Tradition had been broken ... and he must have known that the eyes of the world were upon him. He did not falter and his astute leadership earned him many admirers". England won comfortably, although Hutton failed with the bat. In the second Test, Hutton scored 150 out of
57375-411: Was affected by rain, but other events, collections and insurance for loss of play gave Hutton £9,713, a record at that point for a Yorkshire cricketer. Two-thirds of the amount was invested on Hutton's behalf by the Yorkshire committee, following their usual practice; Hutton resented this paternalism from the committee, particularly as he did not receive the full amount until 1972. Hutton played in three of
57630-449: Was also chosen in England's greatest team; The official Yorkshire history describes him as "technically and aesthetically the best batsman to play for Yorkshire". E. W. Swanton believed that if Hobbs was the greatest professional batsman, Hutton, along with Hammond and Compton, came next. Hutton was more cautious than these others. Following the lead of Herbert Sutcliffe, he saw the role of an opening batsman as defensive. The basis of his game
57885-522: Was blameless." Hutton wanted to exploit what he saw as a West Indian weakness against pace, picking four fast bowlers for the first Test. In doing so, he misjudged the pitch; West Indies made a large score and won by 140 runs. Both captains employed time-wasting tactics in the match, and used negative leg theory bowling, outside leg stump . In the second Test, Hutton scored 72 and 77 but could not prevent another defeat after losing his seventh consecutive toss in Tests. England batted slowly throughout; Hutton
58140-407: Was broken in a match against Middlesex played on a dangerous pitch at Lord's. Consequently, he could not play in the fourth Test, played at his home ground, Headingley, in which England were soundly beaten. After missing a month of cricket, Hutton played just two games before his selection for the final Test of the series. The last Test was played at The Oval and began on 20 August 1938. Hammond won
58395-641: Was described as aloof from his teammates and he did not offer to buy them a round of drinks, let alone share the money given to him by Whitelaw. He spent a lot of his free time alone, writing, as he had sold the rights to a book. On his return to Australia, Bradman was surprised by the intensity of his reception; he became a "reluctant hero". Mick Simmons wanted to cash in on their employee's newly won fame, asking Bradman to leave his teammates and attend official receptions they organised in Adelaide , Melbourne , Goulburn , his hometown of Bowral and Sydney, where he received
58650-527: Was divided over Hutton's performance; some critics, including the Australian bowlers, detected insecurity against fast bowling, particularly the bouncers with which Ray Lindwall and Miller targeted him. Hutton's preferred tactic of ducking under the ball reinforced the impression that he was afraid. In the final Test, Hutton scored a century, batting through the first day to score 122 not out, his first Test century in Australia, despite another barrage from Lindwall and Miller. The Sydney Morning Herald criticised
58905-479: Was essentially already complete. Bill Bowes , the Yorkshire pace bowler, was equally impressed, and helped Hutton to correct a minor flaw in his technique. Hutton was sufficiently encouraged to decide to attempt a career in professional cricket, but at the prompting of his parents decided to learn a trade as well. During 1930, he watched the Australian Don Bradman hit 334 at Headingley in a Test match, then
59160-592: Was founded in the 1760s and, for the next twenty years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the Laws of Cricket . New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century include the three-stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). The 19th century saw underarm bowling superseded by first roundarm and then overarm bowling . Both developments were controversial. Organisation of
59415-428: Was further inflamed as journalists and English residents in the Caribbean placed great emphasis on an English victory, and the perception was that the series would establish the unofficial world champions. The standards of local umpiring were a further source of controversy. The crowds often made noisy protests about on-field events, often related to umpiring. The climax came in the third Test when missiles were thrown onto
59670-494: Was highly sought, and his status as a national icon was still recognised. Almost fifty years after his retirement as a Test player, in 1997, Prime Minister John Howard called him the "greatest living Australian". Bradman's image has appeared on postage stamps and coins, and a museum dedicated to his life was opened while he was still living. On the centenary of his birth, 27 August 2008, the Royal Australian Mint issued
59925-752: Was himself barracked for his slow, defensive batting during the match. England won the third Test by nine wickets, their first victory in the Caribbean since 1935. Hutton, who finally won the toss, scored 169 in seven hours and West Indies were bowled out twice. After a drawn fourth Test, England had to win the final Test to draw the series. Hutton lost the toss but his bowlers dismissed West Indies cheaply in good batting conditions. Hutton then batted for almost nine hours to score 205, his nineteenth and final Test century. Wisden observed that "For concentration and control, Hutton's innings ... scarcely could have been excelled." The innings ended amid another controversy when local officials and journalists accused Hutton of snubbing
60180-412: Was his score of 37 in the second Test of 1946–47 in which the attacking shots he played reminded older spectators of Victor Trumper , regarded as the ultimate Australian strokeplayer. In all his innings, he was expert at hitting the ball just out of the reach of fieldsmen to allow runs to be taken. Several of his contemporaries believed he did not get enough credit for surviving the short-pitched attacks of
60435-462: Was intended to go". Wisden noted Bradman's fast footwork and how he hit the ball "all round the wicket with power and accuracy", as well as faultless concentration in keeping the ball on the ground. In terms of runs scored, this performance was soon surpassed. In the Third Test, at Headingley , Bradman scored a century before lunch on 11 July, the first day of the Test match to equal the performances of Victor Trumper and Charlie Macartney . In
60690-424: Was involved in the most thankless task any cricket captain has undertaken when he went to West Indies. Instead of finding a friendly cricket atmosphere he and his players were subjected to the impact of deep political and racial feeling—an experience all of them wish to forget. A few members of the team did not hide their innermost feelings, with the result that Hutton came under severe criticism, although his behaviour
60945-489: Was little short of spectacular". The hospital could not deal with the number of donors and closed its switchboard in the face of the avalanche of telephone calls generated by the news. Journalists were asked by their editors to prepare obituaries . O'Reilly took a call from King George V's secretary asking that the King be kept informed of the situation. Bradman's wife started the month-long journey to London as soon as she received
61200-524: Was more sedate than in England—although he did make 223 in 297 minutes in the Third Test at Brisbane and 152 in 154 minutes in the following Test at Melbourne. However, he scored quickly in a very successful sequence of innings against South Africa in the Australian summer of 1931–32. For NSW against the tourists, he made 30, 135 and 219. In the Test matches, he scored 226 (277 minutes) , 112 (155 minutes) , 2 and 167 (183 minutes) ; his 299 not out in
61455-536: Was not the same player after the war. A combination of the effects of his injury and the responsibility of opening the batting in generally weak Yorkshire and England teams, whose success often depended on Hutton, meant that he batted cautiously. Hutton only played attacking shots when they presented no risk, and he rarely lifted the ball in the air; he hit just seven sixes in Test matches. However, Patrick Murphy writes: "Just now and again he would play an innings of genius, when bowlers could not contain him." One such innings
61710-470: Was of English heritage on both sides of his family. His grandfather Charles Andrew Bradman had left Withersfield , Suffolk , for Australia. In 1930, when he played at Cambridge during his first tour of England, 21-year-old Bradman took the opportunity to trace his forebears in the region. Bradman was also partly of Italian lineage; one of his great-grandfathers had been one of the first Italians to migrate to Australia in 1826. Bradman's parents lived in
61965-425: Was orthodox and conventional. John Woodcock writes that he seemed to possess great intuition, for example playing mystery spinners Ramadhin and Iverson with ease. His batting stance was relaxed and still, his first movement being to slide his right foot back and across towards middle stump. He often played the ball off the back foot , getting right back onto his stumps, but never played as far forward, preferring to let
62220-419: Was part of the MCC team touring party for the 1946–47 tour of Australia. The MCC were reluctant to tour so soon after the war, but the Australian authorities were insistent. The tourists, led once more by Wally Hammond, were beaten 3–0 in the Test series, finding their opponents much stronger than expected. Hutton began the tour well, scoring two early centuries, the latter of which was described by Wisden as
62475-490: Was perceived to be a gambling sport. Rich patrons made matches for high stakes, forming teams in which they engaged the first professional players. By the end of the century, cricket had developed into a major sport that was spreading throughout England and was already being taken abroad by English mariners and colonisers—the earliest reference to cricket overseas is dated 1676. A 1697 newspaper report survives of "a great cricket match" played in Sussex "for fifty guineas apiece",
62730-411: Was proving difficult. Emily, who bowled left-arm spin , played in the women's intercolonial cricket competition between the main states in 1890s. Bradman practised batting incessantly during his youth. He invented his own solo cricket game, using a cricket stump for a bat and a golf ball. A water tank, mounted on a curved brick stand, stood on a paved area behind the family home. When hit into
62985-525: Was regularly opening the batting for the Pudsey St Lawrence first team in the Bradford Cricket League . By close observation of his opening partner, the former Yorkshire county batsman Edgar Oldroyd , Hutton further developed his batting technique, especially in defence. The local press soon identified Hutton as a player of promise, particularly after he scored a match-winning 108 not out in
63240-405: Was retrospectively recognised as the first-ever Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia . The rivalry between England and Australia gave birth to The Ashes in 1882, which remains Test cricket's most famous contest. Test cricket began to expand in 1888–89 when South Africa played England. The inter-war years were dominated by Australia 's Don Bradman , statistically
63495-402: Was the longest in first-class cricket at the time. It was only the sixth Test of his career. The innings was the highest individual score in a Test until Garfield Sobers scored 365 not out in 1958; it remains the 6th highest in Tests and is the most runs scored in an innings by an English player. England eventually scored 903, the highest team total in a Test at that time, before Hammond declared
63750-410: Was the manner in which he batted. In the second innings, England had to bat for a long time to save the game, Wisden noted that Hutton, in contrast to his opening partner Washbrook, looked "plainly uncomfortable". He was nearly dismissed several times before he was out for 13, and returned to the pavilion to an uncomfortable silence from the crowd. The former Australian batsman Jack Fingleton , covering
64005-419: Was the only England captain to win consecutive series against Australia. On Hutton's return to England, he was made an honorary member of the MCC, which changed its rules to allow a current professional to join the club. The selectors appointed him England captain for the entire forthcoming series against South Africa, a rare indication of confidence. After a poor start to the season, Hutton captained MCC against
64260-622: Was too painful to continue and he did not play again that season. In eleven first-class matches, he scored 537 runs at an average of 29.83. In June, he was knighted for services to cricket. Following the advice of a specialist, Hutton announced his retirement from first-class cricket in January 1956. He was 39, an early retirement age for the period. He played one further match in 1957 for MCC against Lancashire, and two matches in 1960 for MCC and L. C. Stevens' XI. In all first-class cricket, he scored 40,140 runs at an average of 55.51 with 129 hundreds. Wisden viewed Hutton, with Jack Hobbs , as "one of
64515-482: Was unwell for much of the [English] summer, and reports in newspapers hinted that he was suffering from heart trouble". Although he again started with a double century at Worcester , his famed concentration soon deserted him. Wisden wrote: ...there were many occasions on which he was out to wild strokes. Indeed at one period he created the impression that, to some extent, he had lost control of himself and went in to bat with an almost complete disregard for anything in
64770-432: Was widely acclaimed in the press, particularly for the good spirit which he and Hassett, the Australian captain, maintained. Hutton scored 443 runs at an average of 55.37 in the Tests, but found it mentally tiring to lead England. Meanwhile, some Yorkshire observers felt he should do more to improve discipline at the county. In the whole summer, he scored 2,458 runs at an average of 63.02. In the winter of 1953–54, Hutton led
65025-462: Was widely acclaimed in the press. Wisden observed that he had "given yet another exhibition of his wonderful batsmanship on tricky turf ... Hutton thrashed the fast bowlers majestically and played the turning or lifting ball with the ease of a master craftsman." However, the team were bowled out for 122 and Australia won by 70 runs. Hutton remained in the middle order for the second Test, which England lost by 28 runs, but resumed his role as opener for
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