Tom Emmett was born at Crib Lane, Halifax, on September 3rd, 1841, and as a lad, his cricket skills gradually matured during countless hours of practice with his young friends. Their wickets were pitched in front of the concrete pillars, which formed the entrance to the carriage drive of a wealthy local manufacturer, and a constant watch had to be kept for the sudden appearance of the owner or the local policemen.
Tom Emmett’s first club was Illingworth, but it was not long before he joined the Halifax club as a professional and was paid 2s. 6d. a match. In 1863 Keighley acquired his services and around 1866 he played for the local XXII’s against the might of the touring All England XI’s. The first milestone of an illustrious career was reached when he was asked to play for Yorkshire against Surrey at The Oval in 1866. He arrived wearing clogs and carrying his first cricket bag, which consisted of the current edition of the Halifax Courier; by this time, he was 25 years old.
The following year, 1867, saw Tom Emmett turn in his first real bowling performance of note, namely 6 for 7 off 12 balls in the second innings of the county game with Surrey at Bramhall Lane, Sheffield. Bowling fast left arm with a round arm action, Tom moved the ball from the leg to the off and was notorious for the number of wides he bowled. Once Lord Hawke inquired if he was aware of how many wides he had bowled that season, and upon being told 45, Tom replied: “Good, give me the ball, my Lord, and I’ll soon earn talent money!” He went on to total 55 wides that year.
G. Grace, with a wry smile, wondered if it was planned tactics to bowl so many wides and, suddenly, put in a good straight one. It was Grace’s opinion that many umpires let his wides go uncalled, but in Tom Emmett’s opinion, they were exaggerated, for he doubted if he ever sent one down much wider than point! Most of his wides came at the beginning of his bowling spells, so much so that they were known as “Tom’s preliminary canter”. He had a marvelous knack of being able to bowl the ball pitching on the leg stump and moving away to hit the top of the off one-he called it his “sostenutor”. When asked why, he snapped, “What else could you call it?”
He dismissed W.G. Grace with this ball on a number of occasions, causing the great man to have a high regard for his ability. Weighing 11/2 stones and standing 5 ft. 8 ins. in height, Tom Emmett was a chunky character with endless stamina, for in many matches he bowled unchanged either with George Ulyett or George Freeman as his partner. Richard Daft summed him up admirably, saying “he was all wire and whipcord, one of the very best bits of stuff a cricketer was ever made of”.
Stories, together with wicket-taking feats, were legion, for he was the life and soul of any gathering and wall well-liked by both the professionals and amateurs of his day. Recognized as a complete cricketer, Tom Emmett was an agile fielder in the slips or gully, and a powerful driver who scored many useful runs. Alas he tended to be quite reckless at the beginning of his innings, for he would play the ball and run regardless of its proximity. He was noted for taking short singles, but never to that eminent cover point, the Rev. Vernon Royle.
Once, when his partner wanted to run, he pointed towards the reverend gentleman and roared in a rich Yorkshire brogue, “Noa, it’s gone to t’place.” Some versions have it as ‘policeman’. Old pictures depict Tom standing holding the ball and smartly dressed with a neat spotted tie under a butterfly collar. His ruddy face sported a well-trimmed moustache and was topped by his cap, which was perched dead center. His rather prominent nose was responsible for the fairer sex referring to him as “Punch”. Appearances can be deceptive for Tom, who, on a few occasions, had cause to lose his head momentarily. In one particular game, he missed a catch and bowl offered by W. G. Grace himself.
Tom Emmett took off his cap and stamped on it and proceeded to kick the ball well past the boundary. Regretting his actions, he spent the rest of the day apologizing to the doctor. During a club match early in his career, a spate of catches was grounded, and he threw the ball down, shouting: “I’m not bowling any more. There’s an epidemic on this ground, but thank God, it isn’t catching.”
Yorkshire skipper
In 1878, Tom Emmett was elected skipper of Yorkshire and proved a most likeable and competent officer of the club. Unfortunately, he had a tendency not to bowl himself enough, which was verified by the Surrey match of 1881 at The Oval. He had used other bowlers to break up a niggling partnership without success and finally taking the ball himself, he proceeded to virtually win the game for Yorkshire by taking 8 wickets for 22 runs. At the end of the match, many of the watching Yorkshire enthusiasts grabbed Tom and tried to carry him off shoulder high, but he urged them to put him down as they would spill the ‘brass’ from his bulging pockets. Complying with his request, he was able to reach the safety of the pavilion ruse, for his pockets were never full.
Tom Emmett rated this as his best ever performance with the ball. Such was the high quality of the Emmett/Freeman partnership that W. G. Grace considered that 50 made against this pair was always well earned. The Lord’s wicket of 1870 was notoriously rough the year of the summer’s fatality, and when M.C.C. played Yorkshire, these two bowlers gave the Doctor a tarried time, hitting him many times about the body. George Freeman and Tom Emmett marveled at Grace’s wonderful innings of 66 under such conditions.
Tom Emmett seemed to be plagued by the ever-present Doctor, as were very many others of this era. As Tom’s first encounter with W.G. approached, he commented, “It’s all very well Grace scoring all these runs against the South Country bowling; just wait ’til he comes to Sheffield and samples Freeman and myself.” Grace came and scored 122, only for Tom Emmett to suggest he should be made to play with a ‘littler bat’. The Gloucestershire v Yorkshire game at Cheltenham in 1876 saw W.G. score 318 only to be followed by the inevitable “Emmittism”: “Grace before meat, Grace after meat, and Grace all bloody day!”
A more pleasant meeting took place, again, the venue was Lord’s when Tom Emmett met the Doctor in the road approaching the ground before play began. W.G. informed Tom that in his bag he carried his recently acquired Finals Diploma. During the game, Tom had the misfortune to stumble on the wet turf in trying to stop a cover drive from the ‘old man’. Upon W.G. enquiring if he was unhurt, Tom pointed to his mud covered seat, stating, “It’s alright, Doctor, I’ve just got my diploma.”
Tom Emmett disliked close fielders when he was batting and in a game with Kent at Canterbury, he pointed out to Lord Harris, who was standing close in one the leg side, that he should move if he valued his life as he had killed many men in that position. This particular game was played on a sticky wicket and tiny Alec Hearne had been striking Tom about the body quite frequently, only for him to walk up the wicket and stop the bowler in his run up. “Wait a minute, my little man, let’s straighten the carpet a little.” Another daring fielder was ordered to “stand back a bit, mister, for when I hit there, I hit adjectival hard.”
His popularity and respect were not only reflected by the attitudes of the players, but also reached as far as the critical Yorkshire crowds. One murky day at Bramall Lane, they actually started to jeer Tom for refusing to take a quick single. Completely unruffled, he addressed them from the middle upon the virtues of letting him mind his own business—the game recommenced amid a background of apologetic noises from the paying customers. At this period, Yorkshire had a good wicketkeeper in the popular David Hunter, but for a Scarborough game, the selectors were picked by Geoff Webb G. A. R. Leitham instead. He was also a capable player, but the crowd barracked him each time he touched the ball. Tom stopped the game, walked casually across to the noisiest part of the ground, and, in a friendly tone, said, “Nah, lads, Scarborough had a reputation for being respectable.
Don’t lose your character.” There was no more trouble that day. Tom Emmett skippered Yorkshire for five years from 1878 to 1882, and in 1883 and 1884 he shared the post with Lord Hawke. Tom Emmett proved to be the last professional captain of the county until J. V. Wilson in 1960. During 23 seasons as a Yorkshire cricketer, he scored merely 6,686 runs with an average of 15.4, but took 1,271 wickets, averaging 12.68 runs each. In first class games alone, Tom took 1,500 wickets at well under 14 runs per victim.
His best year’s figures:
1867 ! 40 wickets. Average 5.36;
1868: 59 wickets. Average 8.57;
1874: 99 wickets. Average 11.82;
1877-72 wickets. Average 13.68;
1878, 112 wickets. Average 11.46;
1879-54 wickets. Average 10.26;
1882 ! 95 wickets. Average 10.94;
1884: 107 wickets. Average 11.73;
1886-132 wickets. Average 12.91.
His excellent performance in 1886 was achieved at the age of 45. The year 1869 saw Tom Emmett setting a Yorkshire record when he scattered 16 Cambridgeshire batsmen for 38 runs. A benefit was arranged in 1887, from which the admirable sum of £620 was handed to him. Surely, no county club has ever had a more devoted servant.
The combination of Tom Emmett’s humor, personality, and ability made him a ‘must’ for touring captains to have in their ranks. The first invitation came from John Lillywhite to visit Australia in 1876, followed by Lord Harris’s call in 1878 to return to the Antipodes. Travel in the early ships was sometimes quite hazardous, and poor Tom proved to be a bad sailor, spending most of the voyage prostrate. Towards the end of the second Australian journey, he ventured on to the deck, where he was confronted by Lord Harris. Glancing at the calm sea, Tom passed the comment that he doubted if “they had had the heavy roller on yet.”.
This touring party of 1878 included George Ulyett and Tom Emmett as the only professionals, and the latter had a great tour, taking 137 wickets for an average of 8.68 runs and easily topping the bowling table. When the visitors played New South Wales at Sydney, an ugly incident occurred. After a New South Walesman was adjudged run-out, the spectators invaded the pitch, seeking some form of retribution. Lord Harris was struck with a stick, but the culprit was immediately “collared” by ‘Monkey’ Hornby and taken to the pavilion.
Tom Emmett and George Ulyett grabbed a stump each and cleared a path for his Lordship to leave the field safely. In 1879, Tom Emmett crossed the Atlantic to Canada and the U.S.A. under the capable leadership of Richard Daft, and in 1882, he returned to Australia with Alfred Shaw’s team. Having reached the twilight of his career, Tom Emmett sought quieter pastures and accepted an engagement at Bradford.
Then followed his appointment as cricket coach in 1889 at Rugby School on the recommendation of Lord Harris. Sir Pelham Warner, then a pupil at the school, attributed all his cricket ‘knowhow’—and this was abundant—to Tom Emmett’s tutoring. Many times Sir Pelham saw Tom Emmett grab a stump at the fall of a wicket and proceed to demonstrate to all interested the final error of the retreating batsman. This cricket enthusiast was well liked by all the pupils at Rugby, and the staff held him in great esteem. Moving on to Leicester C.C.C. in 1896, he took up his last appointment.
Death:
On June 29th, 1904, Tom Emmett passed quietly away, and so the triumphs of this Yorkshire idol came to a close. Whenever cricket is discussed, his name, and the stories connected with him will often be heard. He was 62 years and 301 days.
Stats:
Test Cricket:
Matches Played: 7
Innings Batted: 13
Runs Scored: 160
Batting Average: 13.33
Highest Score: 48
Wickets Taken: 9
Bowling Average: 31.55
Best Bowling in an Innings: 7/68
Five-Wicket Hauls: 1
Catches: 9
First-Class Cricket Stats:
Matches Played: 426
Innings Batted: 700
Runs Scored: 9,053
Batting Average: 14.84
Highest Score: 104
Wickets Taken: 1,572
Balls: 60,135
Bowling Average: 13.55
Best Bowling in an Innings: 9/23
Five-Wicket Hauls: 122
Ten-Wickets in a Match: 29
Catches: 276
