Len Hutton

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Len Hutton : biography

23 June 1916 – 6 September 1990

Before his home crowd at Headingley, Hutton’s first match as captain 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 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,Howat, p. 108. and Hutton scored 399 runs at an average of 79.80; in the whole summer he scored 2,567 first-class runs at an average of 61.11 with eleven centuries.

Ashes victory

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.Howat, p. 112. Hutton was retained as England captain initially on a match-by-match basis.Howat, p. 114. However, his health was uncertain and he was troubled by fibrositis which restricted his movement and adversely affected his fielding.Howat, pp. 112–13. He top-scored in both England innings with 43 and 60 not out in 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 the match, he was confirmed as captain for the remainder of the series, and the forthcoming MCC winter tour of West Indies.Howat, p. 115.

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. However, Hutton’s negative tactics, including time-wasting and leg theory bowling, meant Australia could not score the runs in the available time and the match was drawn. The Australian press criticised Hutton for his negativity, but English critics believed the tactics were justified.Howat, p. 117. 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 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 was widely acclaimed in the press, particularly for the good spirit which he and Hassett, the Australian captain, maintained.Howat, p. 121. 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.Howat, pp. 120–21. In the whole summer, he scored 2,458 runs at an average of 63.02.

Captain in the West Indies

In the winter of 1953–54, Hutton led the MCC on a tour of West Indies.Howat, p. 126. Before the team left England, critics queried Hutton’s 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 Hutton the tour manager he requested;Gibson, pp. 185–86. instead, they appointed the inexperienced Charles Palmer, the Leicestershire captain, who had already been selected as a player on the tour.Swanton, p. 148. Palmer’s dual role as player and manager blurred the lines of command between him and Hutton.Howat, pp. 140–41. Hutton also found some of the professionals in the team to be difficult to lead, particularly Godfrey Evans,Gibson, p. 186. and Fred Trueman.Howat, p. 140. 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.Howat, pp. 125–26. The situation 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 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.Gibson, p. 185.Howat, p. 131. The attitude of some English players inflamed feelings, either through a perceived lack of courtesy,Howat, pp. 129, 137–38. or their negative reactions to events on the field. Some critics held Hutton responsible for this,Howat, pp. 129–30, 140. but the editor of Wisden later wrote: "[Hutton] 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 was blameless."