Recent researches into Yorkshire's 1949 season reminded me that Leonard Hutton made a pair against Worcestershire during the month of June, when he made a record number of runs in a calender month. For some reason I had the feeling that this match was played at Stourbridge, but on looking it up found it was at the county ground Worcester. There it was in black and white - L.Hutton bowled Perks 0 and lbw bowled Perks 0.
The Stourbridge connection was still niggling me so I looked up the games Yorkshire had played at this long forgotten first class venue, which I visited for the first time to see a Worcestershire second XI game in 2016. Yorkshire have played four games here, the first one way back in 1906 when Lord Hawke, Rhodes, Hirst and Haigh were all in the side which won rather easily.
Then to my surprise I found that the other games when Yorkshire played here were all close together in the 1930s. I just wonder whether Yorkshire had upset somebody at Worcester as they were sent to Stourbridge, almost the equivalent of being sent to Coventry, rather than the county ground in 1936, 1937 and 1939.
Looking up the scorecards of these three games proved most interesting. Yorkshire didn't lose many games during that period. They were county champions in 1937 and 1939 but only fourth in 1936 when Derbyshire won it for the only time. To my great surprise I discovered that Worcester won the game in 1936 by just eleven runs in a season when Yorkshire only lost two games. A very young Leonard Hutton was run out for 0 in the first innings and was lbw to Jackson for 0 in the second.
So this was another pair which I must have heard about hence the Stourbridge connection.
A very young Reg Perks also played in this game and distinguished himself by dismissing the great Herbert Sutcliffe for only seven. Worcester scored 148 in the first innings (Verity 5-48) and Yorkshire replied with only 123 - Mitchell top scoring with 34. In the second innings Worcester were dismissed for 92 with Verity doing even better with 8-40. Yorkshire's victory target was only 118 but having got to 68-2 thanks to Sutcliffe and Leyland, they collapsed to 106 all out, spinners Dick Howarth and Peter Jackson taking five wickets each.
One year later (a couple of weeks after I was born) Yorkshire were there again and normality was resumed with a victory by an innings and 81 runs. This time Hutton made a century (101) and Leyland 167 in a total of 460 all out.
Worcester replied with 190, top score to the splendidly named H.H.I.H. Gibbons. He made 74 not out and his full name is Harold Harry Ian Hayward Gibbons. Surprisingly he was not an amateur but a professional born in Devonport (possibly a nautical connection) and played from 1927-1946. Verity was at it again with 5-53. The second innings proved very similar, Worcester 189 all out (Verity 5-60).
The War Memorial archway at the entrance of the Stourbridge ground.
Another surprise in 1939, just before World War II, when another low scoring match took place and Worcester yet again claimed a rare victory this time by just sixteen runs. Worcester were all out for 102, Ellis Robinson and Hedley Verity with four wickets each, but Yorkshire in reply made only 91.
Hutton was bowled Perks for seven, as he would be again ten years later for nought! Turner did better than his illustrious team mates with 29 not out and Reg Perks took 4-20.
Worcester were again dismissed cheaply, this time for 118 - Reg Perks top scoring with 36.
Having seen him bat after the war I would assume that he gave it the long handle in no uncertain fashion. Bill Bowes chipped in with three wickets, as did Robinson, and Verity had four. So once more a modest total of 130 required by the visitors. Again the middle order collapsed, with skipper Sellars collecting a pair, and despite Leyland's valiant 39 Yorkshire were dismissed for 113. Perks took 5-50 and Martin 4-30.
So a fascinating period of cricketing history played out at an almost forgotten venue, not the most salubrious of settings for the Birmingham League club who still share the playing area with the local soccer club. However the Stourbridge club has been a prolific nursery for Worcestershire cricket over the years and I well remember seeing them field a side of nearly all county players in a Birmingham League match at Walsall in the 1950s. Among those who played were Peter and Dick Richardson (brothers who both played for England), Martin Horton, Dick Howorth, Norman Whiting, Grenville Wilson (a very quick left arm bowler) and George Mills (wicket keeper).
Probably the most famous Stourbridge player of all was Don Kenyon, who was a prolific opening batsman and captain of Worcestershire, who also played a few games for England. In more recent times all rounder Stuart Lampitt was another Stourbridge product.
No comments:
Post a Comment