The Twelfth Man 2011

17 My serious association with Yorkshire C.C. began in 1939, a year in which as a young schoolboy I played in a Colts trial match at York under the watchful eyes of those two great Yorkshire all-rounders, Wilfred Rhodes and George Hirst. Those two Yorkshire legends, not only acted as umpires, but passed on many useful tips during the course of the game. I had met George Hirst when he came to my hometown of Scarborough for two days coaching. I will always be indebted for the help he gave me. I always seemed to make a good score after I had spent a session in the nets with him. I was seven years of age when Don Bradman came to Headingley and scored 334, at that time the highest score ever made in Test cricket. From that day on he was my schoolboy hero. I well remember following him through the streets of Scarborough in 1934 when he was playing at the Festival, every 200 yards unsuccessfully asking for his autograph. I made my first-class debut at the end of the 1946 season. I remember it very well because my first match was the last Championship game played by those three Yorkshire stalwarts: Maurice Leyland, Cyril Turner and Wilf Barber. It was also the first time I had met Brian Sellers. I had heard about him from colleagues in the Yorkshire 2nd Eleven, how ruthless he could be, how he believed in discipline and how he enforced it. So when I was told by the dressing room attendant that “Brian Sellers wanted to see me in his changing room” (in those days amateurs had separate facilities) It was with trepidation that I knocked on the door and entered. I was surprised when he talked to me like a father and gave me some sound advice. But the next day I was to discover al I had heard about him was true, although he is still the best skipper for winning matches I have ever played under. Therefore one can well imagine the thrill it was for me on a June day in 1948, at Bramall Lane to play against Don Bradman. It was a glorious morning when we arrived at the ground, it seemed as if the whole of South Yorkshire had turned up to pay tribute to the great Australian batsman. The gates were closed half an hour before play was due to start with more than 30,000 people inside and at least another 10,000 left outside. We lost the toss but in the first over Ron Aspinall bowled Sydney Barnes. The roar that greeted this wicket must have been heard in Rotherham, but as Barnes walked up the pavilion steps there was an eerie silence. One could hear the tramcars clanging along the Moor, the A Chat With Ted Lester
 trains in the city more than a mile away, dogs barking in neighbouring streets and then the great man emerged from the pavilion. I have never heard such spontaneous and tumultuous applause on any other sporting occasion. The noise was deafening and it continued until the Don arrived at the wicket and took guard. Although the ball was moving about it didn’t seem to make any difference as Don middled everything bowled to him. It was not that he made 54 in the first innings and 86 in the second, but the ease with which he pushed the singles and kept the scoreboard ticking made on realise just how difficult a batsman he must have been to bowl at in the 1930s. A story told to me by Jack Walsh many years ago may illustrate the greatness of Don Bradman. He was bowling in a Sheffield Shield match against Bradman who continually hit him behind square leg to the boundary. Jack went up to the captain and said “Can I have that man on the boundary in front of square moved to stop that shot?.” “You can” said the skipper “but it won’t make any Edward
I.Lester
 I invited Ted to submit an interview for the magazine, I might be accused of indulging a personal whim, for I must confess that he was a favourite back in the 1940s when I first took a serious interest in the game. For many years, on visiting North Marine Road, I would look out for Vic Wilson sitting on a bench near to the pavilion, while I also enjoyed a chat with Ted as he heads home for tea, ever patient, a lovely man. Ted was born I Scarborough on 18 February 1923. He played 28 matches between 1945 and 1956 and he scored 10,912 runs with 25 centuries. He then became captain of the Colts and took over as First Eleven scorer from 1962 to 1992. Norman Hazell T.N.Pearce’s XI v Pakistan At Scarborough (9 September 1954) Peter May (57) and E.I.Lester (100)