War Prevents Len Hutton’s 3000 Runs

Southland Times, Issue 23987, 30 November 1939, Page 11

War Prevents Len Hutton’s 3000 Runs

Leonard Hutton, the 23-year-old Yorkshire opening batsman, who is outstanding among England’s wealth of young batsmen, was probably robbed of another record through the English season, being, curtailed by the war—that of being the youngest cricketer to score 3000 runs in first-class cricket in a season.

When play was suspended, Hutton had an aggregate of 2883 runs, including 12. centuries, and an average of 62.67. He had the highest aggregate in England this year, and his average was second to W. R. Hammond’s 63.56, Hammond having topped the averages for the seventh consecu-

tive season, which is easily a record. Hutton this year took 44 wickets at an average cost of 18.68 runs, and held 37 catches. He bowls the leg-break, with an occasional googly. Writing in The Cricketer, Sir Home Gordon says that every •time he sees Hutton in action his batting style becomes more like Hammond’s. “There is no doubt,” he adds, “that at the age of 23 his skill as a bat rivals that of the greatest masters we have ever watched. He has every stroke conceivable, and he moves with beautifully smooth celerity, while the power which .he plays off the back foot is a joy to watch. Not only a grand field, he is developing as a clever bowler.”