CRICKET FAME

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 9

CRICKET FAME

HUTTON'S RISE

MAKER OF NEW RECORDS

"DUCK" IN TEST DEBUT

(By "Not Out.") Records are made to be broken. This applies in cricket as in any other branch of sport, but such colossal figures had been set up that the prospects of new high marks being reached in Tests—in England, at any rateseemed to be more remote than ever. There was Australia's 729 for six wickets (at Lord's in 1930) as a team total and D. G. Bradman's 334 (at Leeds in 1930) as an individual score. When cricket records are discussed it seems the usual thing to associate Australia with the deeds of note, mainly because Australia has Bradman. But now England has changed the order with a vengeance. The 22----year-old Leonard Hutton, after- beating England's best for a Test (Foster's 287 at Sydney in 1903) this week took, from Bradman the distinction of mak- J ing the highest score in England-Aus- j tralia Tests, and he wiped out also the j so-called Test record of W. R. Hammond—336 not out against New Zea- I land at Auckland in 1933. And having done that, young Hutton proceeded j to pass, one by one, other big marks in first-class (not Test) cricket, until he had only one English record to conquer—A. C. MacLaren's 424, made in a county match in 1895. Hutton did not get that far, and he also left five Australian first-class scores ahead of him—Bradman's 369, C. W. Gregory's 383, W. H. Ponsford's 429 and 437, and, at the top of the list, Bradman's world record of 452 not out — all made in interstate matches. UP THE SCALE. Hutton's rise to greatness has been remarkable. He was only twelve years of age when he joined the Pudney St. Lawrence Club, and there he developed so well that he was brought to the notice of county officials and was watched at the nets by George Hirst. At sixteen years of age he represented the minor counties, and next year (1934) he was in first-class cricket, his performances making it clear that there was a bright future ahead for him. H. Sutcliffe, one of England's greatest batsmen, took ft very keen interest in the youngster, and predicted that Hutton would play for England. In that season Hutton made a score of 196 against Worcestershire. Because of illness Hutton did not take a very prominent part in cricket in 1935, and the effects of the setback were noticeable in 1936 (though he topped the 1000 mark). He came right into his own last season. It was said that.he "enjoyed a season of almost unbroken triumph." Ten threefigure scores were made by him, with 271 not out as his highest score. In aggregate he was not far short of 3000, and he was third on the list of first-class averages with 56.62. His birthday falls during the season (June 23), and it was on his birthday last season that he and Sutcliffe put on 315 for the first wicket. WHAT COWIE DID. It was against New Zealand that Hutton made his debut as a Test player. He had made a century in the Test trial, but, for his Test baptism he had to'take'-the' lj! duck" that comes the way of batsmen, no matter how good they are. The distinction of having bowled .Hutton —and there is no mistaking the fact that it is a distinction now that the young Yorkshireman has broken Test records —in his first. Test for' a "duck" goes to Cowie, who received high praise indeed for his bowling throughout last year's tour, and in the second innings of that first Test Hutton again fell a victim to Cowie—caught by Vivian when he had made a single. But the New Zealand cricketers met a different Hutton later on. For Yorkshire, against which county New Zealand narrowly escaped defeat (Tindill and Cowie keeping the last wicket intact for twenty minutes until stumps), Hutton made 135 and 13, and in the second Test he made 100 and 14. However, in the third Test he was out for 12—caught and bowled by Vivian. Now, this season he has gone on to Test records, which is an amazing achievement considering the exceptionally high marks set by Bradman, Hammond, and great batsmen of the past.

It is said of Hutton in "Wisden" that he is blessed with the. right temperament for the big occasion and, given good health, he should for many years serve Yorkshire as nobly as did Brown, Tunnicliffe, Holmes, and Sutcliffe. It was suggested that he would furnish England with one: of the opening batsmen so badly needed since the breaking of the Hobbs-Sutcliffe partnership. Of this he has given striking evidence. Eminently sound in defence, he plays the new ball extremely well, and prefers to wear down the bowling rather than take risks. It must be said that he often carries caution to an extreme, states "Wisden," and yet, when inclined, he brings into play all the strokes. His off-drive is beautifully made. Hutton, besides being a batsman of high merit, is a useful legbreak bowler, and his fielding is first rate. PREVIOUS ENGLISH RECORD. R. E. Foster's 287, which stood for over thirty years as the record Test score by an Englishman until it was shattered by Hutton on Monday, was made in Sydney on December 12 and 14, 1903. Australia batted first and made 285, Noble with 133 claiming nearly half of them. Warner and Hayward opened for England, but the former was out before a run had been scored. Hayward left at 49 and Tyldesley at 73, and Foster then joined Arnold, who left 43 runs later and was succeeded by Braund. He and Foster stayed together for the rest of the day, and when stumps were drawn had put on another 127 runs. Foster was 73 not out. He reached his 100 soon after the start on Monday morning, and Braund got his two minutes later. With his score at 102, however, Braund was bowled by Howell, and with Hirst, Bosanquet, and Lilley making only 6 runs between them, eight wickets were down for 332. The end looked near, but Relf came in and held his end up while Foster hit brilliantly. Relf batted nearly an hour before reaching double figures, and he was responsible for- only 31 of the 115 which he and Foster put on together. Nine for 447, but Foster found another good partner in Wilfred Rhodes, who had not then commenced to make his way up to the head of the batting list. The last wicket put on no fewer than 130 in an hour before Foster was caught at midoff. He had taken three hours to | make 73 on the Saturday, and four hours to make a further 214 on Monday. Rhodes's share of the 130 was 40, and the total was 577, the highest by an England side up to that time. Australia made 485 in their second strike, Trumper getting 185 not out and Duff 84, and England lost five wickets in making the 194 required. Hirst made up for his first innings failure with 60 not out, and Tom Hayward got 91, but Foster and Braund were dismissed for 19 and 0 respectively. The match lasted six days.