A very sad period for long time Yorkshire followers, with the deaths of Ken Smales, Bob Appleyard and now Ted Lester within the last two weeks.
Ken Smales, not to be confused with Frank Smailes, many years his senior, made his first class debut in May 1948 for Yorkshire v Northants at Fartown, Huddersfield. He was a 20 year old off spinner, who could also bat, going in at number six in his first game. This was also the first county cricket match I ever saw, at the age of 10.
Strangely enough the Yorkshire captain that day was the aforementioned Frank Smailes, a professional, which was very rare in those days of amateur captains. Norman Yardley was absent at a meeting of England selectors.
Young Smales did well taking the wickets of three top order batsmen for 51 in 26 overs in the first innings. His most notable scalp that of Northants best player Dennis Brookes, another Yorkshireman. Yorkshire won the game by ten wickets with Hutton and Halliday knocking off the 167 runs on the last afternoon. Strangely enough I have only this week come across the Yorkshire Post report by the eminent cricket correspondent J.M. Kilburn. Despite the game being a real highlight for me, he was rather scathing of the last day's events. After Hutton reached 80, Kilburn's comments were as follows:- 'Thereafter the proceedings were uncommonly dull. Hutton was near enough his century for Halliday to limit his own run getting. In the end Hutton had need of the last 13 runs, he made them and our departure was thankful, for this was on the whole, a match of small merit.' How different from my schoolboy enthusiasm.
However Smales could not get a regular place in the strong Yorkshire line up and moved to Notts in 1951 where he played with distinction until 1958 when he retired to become secretary of Notts Forest football club for thirty years, which included their great triumphs under Brian Clough. He wrote a very good book on the history of the club. His outstanding cricket performance was figures of 10-66 against Gloucester at Stroud in 1956, still the only Notts bowler to take all ten. His best season was 1955 when he took 117 wickets.
Ken Smales
Appleyard's story is much more well known with the publication of Stephen Chalke's marvellous book 'No Coward Soul' in 2008 telling of not only Appleyard's struggle with illness, but his very difficult family background. Not only did he take 200 wickets in his first season in 1951, but he became a valuable Test cricketer for England, not only at home, but in Australia and New Zealand too. He just wanted to bowl all the time and it became very difficult for any captain to get the ball off him. His many years of devotion to the Bradford Park Avenue ground, the formation of the Yorkshire Academy and his work for cricketing charities are well known. He was a great man and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Bob Appleyard
Ted Lester who died yesterday at his home in Scarborough was Yorkshire's senior living player. Here was a man who made an immediate impact in the 1947 season, finishing third in the first class averages behind Compton and Edrich in their great year. He was in some ways a breath of fresh air, not in the normal Yorkshire cautious mood, but willing to take risks and score quickly. He was once reprimanded by skipper Brian Sellars for wearing his cap at a jaunty angle, being called into the middle from the boundary and immediately sent back with a flea in his ear. Another coincidence was the fact that he was awarded his county cap during the game with Northants in 1948.
His relatively short career in the first team came to an end in 1956, but he continued to serve Yorkshire for many years to come, first as second eleven captain, then as scorer for thirty years, during which time his wise counsel and knowledge were passed on not only to the younger players coming through but to the travelling press men. Yorkshire cricket was his life and although never really in consideration for higher honours he was a good and faithful servant remembered with affection by many.
Mike Cowan, Ted Lester, Willie Watson and Bob Appleyard
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