Sir Leonard Hutton Biography

Sir Leonard Hutton 1916-90

Born in a cricketing family in the village of Fulneck in Pudsey. Len Hutton displayed a remarkable talent for cricket from an early age. By the age of eighteen he had made his debut for Yorkshire. Although his first innings was a duck - this did not prove to be an indication of his immense talent and ability. At the age of 21, he made an epic 364 at the Oval against Australia. At the time this was the world's longest first class innings and broke the previous test record set by the great Don Bradman.

Sir Leonard Hutton was more than a cricketer but a gentleman with a modest demeanour. He brought the qualities of determination, discipline and restraint to the cricketing crease creating at times an attitude of invincibility. Often the fortunes of England were closely connected to the fortunes of Len Hutton. After the war he was made captain of England and led England to regain the Ashes in 1953. His cricketing career was all the more remarkable for the long break during the Second world war, where in a war injury he lost 2 inches off his left arm.

This didn't seem to effect him. Before the war he made over 11,700 runs at an average of 48.98. After 1945 he made another 28,292 runs at an average of 58.81. This included 129 hundreds. If the war had not intervened his record would have been even more special.

He was one of the few cricketers to be knighted by the Queen.