1939 English cricket season
Encyclopedia
The 1939 English cricket season was the last before the Second World War and it was not until 1946 that first-class cricket
could resume in England on a normal basis.
In the 1940 edition of Wisden Cricketers Almanack, author RC Robertson-Glasgow reviewed the 1939 season and remarked that it was "like peeping through the wrong end of a telescope at a very small but happy world".
1939 was the one and only season in which English cricket adopted the eight-ball over. The1940 Wisden, with full details on the 1939 season can be found at www.wisdenworld.com
and Learie Constantine
. England won the First Test by 8 wickets and the other two were drawn.
Constantine was recognised by Wisden as one of its "Five Cricketers of the Year".
Having completed the Third Test on Tuesday, 22 August, the West Indian tourists cancelled their next match against Sussex
which was scheduled to start at the County Ground, Hove on Saturday, 26 August. Three later matches versus Kent
, an England XI and H D G Leveson-Gower's XI were also cancelled.
was determined on an average points basis because the county teams did not all play the same number of matches, the range varying from 24 to 32. Yorkshire
won the title for the third successive season, playing 30 matches with 20 wins and 2 defeats to produce a points average of 9.286. Middlesex
was the runner-up with 8.182 from 26 matches with 13 wins and 3 defeats.
Yorkshire were captained by Brian Sellers
, whose efforts earned him a place in Wisdens "Five Cricketers of the Year". The team had five batsmen who all scored more than 1000 championship runs: Len Hutton
(2167), Wilf Barber
(1388), Herbert Sutcliffe
(1230), Maurice Leyland
(1191) and Arthur Mitchell
(1087). The bowling depended on Hedley Verity
(165 wickets), Ellis Robinson
(102), Bill Bowes
(96) and Frank Smailes
(49). The wicket-keeper was Arthur Wood who completed 39 catches and 27 stumpings. Other players included Cyril Turner and future England captain Norman Yardley
.
Runners-up Middlesex were well served by Test batsmen Bill Edrich
(1948 runs), Denis Compton
(1853) and Jack Robertson
(1562). Wicket-keeper Fred Price
had an outstanding season with 53 catches and 20 stumpings. Middlesex relied heavily on its two main bowlers Jim Sims
(142 wickets) and Jim Smith
(84). Edrich and Price were recognised by Wisden as two of its "Five Cricketers of the Year".
Gloucestershire
finished third under England captain Wally Hammond
who scored 2121 championship runs. Other good performers for Gloucestershire were batsmen Charlie Barnett
, Jack Crapp
and George Emmett; seam bowler Colin Scott and the outstanding spin bowler Tom Goddard
who took 181 championship wickets.
Noted batsmen at other counties were John Langridge
(Sussex
) with 2106 championship runs; Les Ames
(Kent
), Joe Hardstaff junior
(Nottinghamshire
), Arthur Fagg
(Kent), Eddie Paynter
(Lancashire
), Harold Gimblett
(Somerset
) and Laurie Fishlock
(Surrey
) who all made more than 1700 runs. Walter Keeton
of Nottinghamshire was recognised by Wisden as one of its "Five Cricketers of the Year" after he scored 312* against Middlesex, which was the highest individual score of the 1939 season and remains the highest ever made for Nottinghamshire.
Noted bowlers elsewhere were Reg Perks
(Worcestershire
) and Doug Wright
(Kent), the only others to take more than 130 championship wickets.
had the highest average of batsmen who played in more than a couple of matches. He scored 1745 runs @ 72.60 (HS 234*). The highest runscorer was Len Hutton
with 2883 @ 62.67 (HS 280*).
Other leading batsmen were Wally Hammond
, Denis Compton
, Bill Edrich
, Joe Hardstaff junior
and John Langridge
who all scored more than 2000 runs.
had the best average of regular bowlers with 191 wickets @ 13.13 (BB 9–62). It turned out to be Verity's final season as he was killed in action during the war. In his last appearance on 2 September, he took 7 for 9 as Yorkshire "skittled" Sussex for only 33.
The most wickets were taken by Tom Goddard
with 200 @ 14.86 (BB 9–38). Other leading bowlers were Reg Perks
, Jim Sims
, Bill Copson
and Doug Wright
who all took more than 140 wickets.
, Godfrey Evans
, Cliff Gladwin
and Willie Watson
.
Those whose first-class careers ended in 1939 include Ken Farnes
and Hedley Verity
who were both killed in action during the war.
. Two earlier games involving the West Indian tourists had already been cancelled. Four remaining games, including Gentlemen v Players
, were due to begin on different days during the following week and all were cancelled.
The final matches played before the war were six County Championship
games that began on Wednesday, 30 August and were completed on or before Friday, 1 September, the day the Wehrmacht
invaded Poland
. Three of these games were completed with a result on the second day. Two more were ended as draws by agreement on the Friday morning after news of the invasion was reported.
The last match to be completed was Sussex v Yorkshire at Hove. From an overnight position of 330–3 in the first innings, chasing a Sussex score of 387, Yorkshire continued on the Friday morning and totalled 392 all out. Sussex collapsed in their second innings and was all out for only 33, whereupon Yorkshire made 30–1 to win by nine wickets. That ended the 1939 season and also marked the end of first-class cricket in England until the first of the Victory Tests
began on 19 May 1945.
The Third Test was the last match played at The Oval
in 1939. Soon after war was declared, the ground was requisitioned and modified for use as a prisoner-of-war camp, but no prisoners were ever held there. Lord's
was prepared for a similar fate but the authorities decided against it and Lord's was able to stage many games throughout the war to raise money for charity.
H S Altham
wrote in 1940 about a visit to Lord's in December 1939 as "a sobering experience; there were sandbags everywhere and the Long Room was stripped bare with its treasures safely stored below ground". Having painted a bleak picture thus far, Altham ended on a note of defiance: "but the turf was a wondrous green, Old Father Time
on the Grand Stand roof was gazing serenely at the nearest (barrage) balloon and one felt that somehow it would take more than totalitarian war to put an end to cricket".
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
could resume in England on a normal basis.
In the 1940 edition of Wisden Cricketers Almanack, author RC Robertson-Glasgow reviewed the 1939 season and remarked that it was "like peeping through the wrong end of a telescope at a very small but happy world".
1939 was the one and only season in which English cricket adopted the eight-ball over. The1940 Wisden, with full details on the 1939 season can be found at www.wisdenworld.com
Honours
- County Championship – Yorkshire
- Minor Counties Championship – Surrey II
- Wisdens Five Cricketers of the Year – Learie ConstantineLearie ConstantineLearie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
, Bill EdrichBill EdrichWilliam John "Bill" Edrich DFC was a distinguished cricketer who played for Middlesex, MCC, Norfolk and England.Edrich's three brothers, Brian, Eric and Geoff, and also his cousin, John, all played first-class cricket...
, Walter KeetonWalter KeetonWilliam Walter Keeton was an English cricketer who played in two Tests in 1934 and 1939...
, Fred PriceFred PriceWilfred Frederick Frank Price was a cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club from 1926 to 1947. Price also stood as an umpire from 1950 to 1967...
, Brian SellersBrian SellersArthur Brian Sellers was an English amateur first-class cricketer, who played in 334 first-class matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1932 and 1948, and later became a prominent administrator at the club....
Test series
England played three Tests against West Indies, whose team included George HeadleyGeorge Headley
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
and Learie Constantine
Learie Constantine
Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
. England won the First Test by 8 wickets and the other two were drawn.
- First Test at Lord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
– England won by 8 wickets - Second Test at Old Trafford Cricket Ground – match drawn
- Third Test at The OvalThe OvalThe Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
– match drawn
Constantine was recognised by Wisden as one of its "Five Cricketers of the Year".
Having completed the Third Test on Tuesday, 22 August, the West Indian tourists cancelled their next match against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
which was scheduled to start at the County Ground, Hove on Saturday, 26 August. Three later matches versus Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
, an England XI and H D G Leveson-Gower's XI were also cancelled.
County Championship
The 1939 County ChampionshipCounty Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
was determined on an average points basis because the county teams did not all play the same number of matches, the range varying from 24 to 32. Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
won the title for the third successive season, playing 30 matches with 20 wins and 2 defeats to produce a points average of 9.286. Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
was the runner-up with 8.182 from 26 matches with 13 wins and 3 defeats.
Yorkshire were captained by Brian Sellers
Brian Sellers
Arthur Brian Sellers was an English amateur first-class cricketer, who played in 334 first-class matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1932 and 1948, and later became a prominent administrator at the club....
, whose efforts earned him a place in Wisdens "Five Cricketers of the Year". The team had five batsmen who all scored more than 1000 championship runs: Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
(2167), Wilf Barber
Wilf Barber
Wilfred Barber, known as Wilf Barber , was a professional first-class cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1926 to 1947. He played two Test matches for England in 1935 against South Africa. An opening batsman with an excellent batting technique, Barber often batted in the...
(1388), Herbert Sutcliffe
Herbert Sutcliffe
Herbert Sutcliffe was an English professional cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England as an opening batsman. Apart from one match in 1945, his first-class career spanned the period between the two World Wars...
(1230), Maurice Leyland
Maurice Leyland
Maurice Leyland , christened 'Morris Leyland', was an English cricketer who played 41 Test matches between 1928 and 1938 and proved himself one of the best left-handers of his generation....
(1191) and Arthur Mitchell
Arthur Mitchell (cricketer)
Arthur "Ticker" Mitchell was an English first-class cricketer, who played both for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England....
(1087). The bowling depended on Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow left arm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 14.90 and in 40 Tests he took 144 wickets at an average of 24.37...
(165 wickets), Ellis Robinson
Ellis Robinson
Ellis Pembroke Robinson was a first-class cricketer who took over 1,000 first-class wickets for Yorkshire from 1934 to 1949, and Somerset from 1950 to 1952.-Early life:...
(102), Bill Bowes
Bill Bowes
Bill Bowes was one of the best bowlers of the interwar period and, for a time, the most important force behind Yorkshire's dominance of the County Championship...
(96) and Frank Smailes
Frank Smailes
Frank Smailes was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire, and one Test for England...
(49). The wicket-keeper was Arthur Wood who completed 39 catches and 27 stumpings. Other players included Cyril Turner and future England captain Norman Yardley
Norman Yardley
Norman Walter Dransfield Yardley was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England, as a right-handed batsman and occasional bowler. An amateur, he captained Yorkshire from 1948 to 1955 and England on fourteen occasions between 1947 and 1950,...
.
Runners-up Middlesex were well served by Test batsmen Bill Edrich
Bill Edrich
William John "Bill" Edrich DFC was a distinguished cricketer who played for Middlesex, MCC, Norfolk and England.Edrich's three brothers, Brian, Eric and Geoff, and also his cousin, John, all played first-class cricket...
(1948 runs), Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
(1853) and Jack Robertson
Jack Robertson
Jack Robertson was an English cricketer, who played county cricket for Middlesex, and in eleven Tests for England....
(1562). Wicket-keeper Fred Price
Fred Price
Wilfred Frederick Frank Price was a cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club from 1926 to 1947. Price also stood as an umpire from 1950 to 1967...
had an outstanding season with 53 catches and 20 stumpings. Middlesex relied heavily on its two main bowlers Jim Sims
Jim Sims
James Morton Sims was an English cricketer.Jim Sims represented Middlesex in 381 first-class matches matches between 1929 and 1952 as a right-handed batsman and off-break bowler who scored 7173 runs and took 1,257 wickets...
(142 wickets) and Jim Smith
Jim Smith (cricketer)
Cedric Ivan James Smith was an English cricketer who played in 5 Tests from 1935 to 1937....
(84). Edrich and Price were recognised by Wisden as two of its "Five Cricketers of the Year".
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
finished third under England captain Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Walter Reginald "Wally" Hammond was an English Test cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning his career as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England...
who scored 2121 championship runs. Other good performers for Gloucestershire were batsmen Charlie Barnett
Charlie Barnett (cricketer)
Charles John Barnett was an English cricketer, who played in 20 Tests from 1933 to 1948...
, Jack Crapp
Jack Crapp
John "Jack" Frederick Crapp was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1936 and 1956, and played for England on tour in the winter of 1948-49....
and George Emmett; seam bowler Colin Scott and the outstanding spin bowler Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard was the fifth highest wicket taker in first-class cricket....
who took 181 championship wickets.
Noted batsmen at other counties were John Langridge
John Langridge
John George Langridge was a cricketer who played for Sussex. His obituary in Wisden called him "one of the best English cricketers of the 20th century never to play a Test match"....
(Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
) with 2106 championship runs; Les Ames
Les Ames
Leslie Ethelbert George Ames, CBE was an outstanding wicket-keeper and batsman for the England cricket team and Kent County Cricket Club. In his obituary, the Wisden of 1991 described him as the greatest wicket-keeper-batsman of all time...
(Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
), Joe Hardstaff junior
Joe Hardstaff junior
Joseph Hardstaff junior was an English cricketer, who played in twenty three Tests for England from 1935 to 1948...
(Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
), Arthur Fagg
Arthur Fagg
Arthur Edward Fagg was an English cricketer, who played for Kent and England....
(Kent), Eddie Paynter
Eddie Paynter
Edward "Eddie" Paynter was an English cricketer: an attacking batsman and excellent fielder. His Test batting average of 59.23 is the fifth highest of all time, and second only to Herbert Sutcliffe amongst Englishmen; against Australia alone Paynter averaged an extraordinary 84.42.Born in...
(Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
), Harold Gimblett
Harold Gimblett
Harold Gimblett was a cricketer who played for Somerset and England. He was known for his fast scoring as an opening batsman and for the much-repeated story of his debut...
(Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
) and Laurie Fishlock
Laurie Fishlock
Laurence Barnard "Laurie" Fishlock was an English cricketer, who played in four Tests from 1936 to 1947. A specialist batsman, he achieved little in those four matches, but might have had a much more substantial Test career, had he not lost six of what should have been his best years to World War...
(Surrey
Surrey County Cricket Club
Surrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
) who all made more than 1700 runs. Walter Keeton
Walter Keeton
William Walter Keeton was an English cricketer who played in two Tests in 1934 and 1939...
of Nottinghamshire was recognised by Wisden as one of its "Five Cricketers of the Year" after he scored 312* against Middlesex, which was the highest individual score of the 1939 season and remains the highest ever made for Nottinghamshire.
Noted bowlers elsewhere were Reg Perks
Reg Perks
Reginald Thomas David "Reg" Perks was an English cricketer who played in 2 Tests in 1939, and was the mainstay of Worcestershire's bowling for a long period from the middle 1930s until the middle 1950s...
(Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
) and Doug Wright
Doug Wright
Doug Wright is an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2004 for his play, I Am My Own Wife.-Early years:Wright was born in Dallas, Texas...
(Kent), the only others to take more than 130 championship wickets.
Leading batsmen – all first-class matches
George HeadleyGeorge Headley
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
had the highest average of batsmen who played in more than a couple of matches. He scored 1745 runs @ 72.60 (HS 234*). The highest runscorer was Len Hutton
Len Hutton
Sir Leonard "Len" Hutton was an English Test cricketer, who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England in the years around the Second World War as an opening batsman. He was described by Wisden Cricketer's Almanack as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket...
with 2883 @ 62.67 (HS 280*).
Other leading batsmen were Wally Hammond
Wally Hammond
Walter Reginald "Wally" Hammond was an English Test cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning his career as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed captain of England...
, Denis Compton
Denis Compton
Denis Charles Scott Compton CBE was an English cricketer who played in 78 Test matches, and a footballer...
, Bill Edrich
Bill Edrich
William John "Bill" Edrich DFC was a distinguished cricketer who played for Middlesex, MCC, Norfolk and England.Edrich's three brothers, Brian, Eric and Geoff, and also his cousin, John, all played first-class cricket...
, Joe Hardstaff junior
Joe Hardstaff junior
Joseph Hardstaff junior was an English cricketer, who played in twenty three Tests for England from 1935 to 1948...
and John Langridge
John Langridge
John George Langridge was a cricketer who played for Sussex. His obituary in Wisden called him "one of the best English cricketers of the 20th century never to play a Test match"....
who all scored more than 2000 runs.
Leading bowlers – all first-class matches
Hedley VerityHedley Verity
Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow left arm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 14.90 and in 40 Tests he took 144 wickets at an average of 24.37...
had the best average of regular bowlers with 191 wickets @ 13.13 (BB 9–62). It turned out to be Verity's final season as he was killed in action during the war. In his last appearance on 2 September, he took 7 for 9 as Yorkshire "skittled" Sussex for only 33.
The most wickets were taken by Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard
Tom Goddard was the fifth highest wicket taker in first-class cricket....
with 200 @ 14.86 (BB 9–38). Other leading bowlers were Reg Perks
Reg Perks
Reginald Thomas David "Reg" Perks was an English cricketer who played in 2 Tests in 1939, and was the mainstay of Worcestershire's bowling for a long period from the middle 1930s until the middle 1950s...
, Jim Sims
Jim Sims
James Morton Sims was an English cricketer.Jim Sims represented Middlesex in 381 first-class matches matches between 1929 and 1952 as a right-handed batsman and off-break bowler who scored 7173 runs and took 1,257 wickets...
, Bill Copson
Bill Copson
Bill Copson was an English cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1932 and 1950, and for England between 1939 and 1947. He took over 1,000 wickets for Derbyshire, and was prominent in their 1936 Championship season...
and Doug Wright
Doug Wright
Doug Wright is an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2004 for his play, I Am My Own Wife.-Early years:Wright was born in Dallas, Texas...
who all took more than 140 wickets.
Debutants
Among the first-class debutants in 1939 were future England players Alec BedserAlec Bedser
Sir Alec Victor Bedser, CBE was a professional English cricketer. He was the chairman of selectors for the English national cricket team, and the president of Surrey County Cricket Club...
, Godfrey Evans
Godfrey Evans
Thomas Godfrey Evans CBE was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England.Described by Wisden as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match appearances between 1946 and 1959 and a total of 1066 in all first-class matches...
, Cliff Gladwin
Cliff Gladwin
Clifford Gladwin was an English cricketer, who played for Derbyshire from 1939 to 1958, and in eight Tests for England from 1947 to 1949...
and Willie Watson
Willie Watson (England cricketer)
William "Willie" Watson, was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire, Leicestershire and England. He was a double international, as Watson was also a footballer who played for England's national team.-Cricket career:...
.
Those whose first-class careers ended in 1939 include Ken Farnes
Ken Farnes
Kenneth Farnes was an English cricketer. He played in 15 Tests from 1934 to 1939.Farnes was born in Leytonstone, Essex, and was educated at the Royal Liberty School in Gidea Park. He made his first-class debut for Essex in 1930, aged only 19. He took 5-36 in his second county match against Kent...
and Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow left arm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 14.90 and in 40 Tests he took 144 wickets at an average of 24.37...
who were both killed in action during the war.
Immediate impact of the war
The season was almost over when war was declared on Sunday, 3 September and only ten first-class matches were cancelled. Four were due to begin on Saturday, 2 September but all were delayed due to the emergency and then cancelled after the declaration of warDeclaration of war
A declaration of war is a formal act by which one nation goes to war against another. The declaration is a performative speech act by an authorized party of a national government in order to create a state of war between two or more states.The legality of who is competent to declare war varies...
. Two earlier games involving the West Indian tourists had already been cancelled. Four remaining games, including Gentlemen v Players
Gentlemen v Players
The Gentlemen v Players game was a first-class cricket match that was generally played on an annual basis between one team consisting of amateurs and one of professionals . The first two games took place in 1806 but the fixture was not revived until 1819. It was more or less annual thereafter...
, were due to begin on different days during the following week and all were cancelled.
The final matches played before the war were six County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
games that began on Wednesday, 30 August and were completed on or before Friday, 1 September, the day the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
invaded Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. Three of these games were completed with a result on the second day. Two more were ended as draws by agreement on the Friday morning after news of the invasion was reported.
The last match to be completed was Sussex v Yorkshire at Hove. From an overnight position of 330–3 in the first innings, chasing a Sussex score of 387, Yorkshire continued on the Friday morning and totalled 392 all out. Sussex collapsed in their second innings and was all out for only 33, whereupon Yorkshire made 30–1 to win by nine wickets. That ended the 1939 season and also marked the end of first-class cricket in England until the first of the Victory Tests
Victory Tests
The Victory Tests were a series of cricket matches played in England from 19 May to 22 August 1945, between a combined Australian Services XI and an English national side...
began on 19 May 1945.
The Third Test was the last match played at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
in 1939. Soon after war was declared, the ground was requisitioned and modified for use as a prisoner-of-war camp, but no prisoners were ever held there. Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
was prepared for a similar fate but the authorities decided against it and Lord's was able to stage many games throughout the war to raise money for charity.
H S Altham
Harry Altham
Harry Surtees Altham, CBE, DSO, MC was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His Wisden obituary described him as "among the best known personalities in the world of cricket"...
wrote in 1940 about a visit to Lord's in December 1939 as "a sobering experience; there were sandbags everywhere and the Long Room was stripped bare with its treasures safely stored below ground". Having painted a bleak picture thus far, Altham ended on a note of defiance: "but the turf was a wondrous green, Old Father Time
Old Father Time
Old Father Time is a weather vane at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, in the shape of Father Time removing the bails from a wicket. The weathervane is a total of 6 ft 6 in tall, with the figure of Father Time standing at 5 ft 4 in...
on the Grand Stand roof was gazing serenely at the nearest (barrage) balloon and one felt that somehow it would take more than totalitarian war to put an end to cricket".