Cricket Diary: Hutchinson extends age limit (7 August 1999)
When Jimmy Hutchinson made his debut for Derbyshire, the First World War had been over for less than two years, women were being admitted to degrees at Oxford University for the first time and the first 'talkie' films were still eight years away
07-Aug-1999
7 August 1999
Cricket Diary: Hutchinson extends age limit
Neil Hallam
When Jimmy Hutchinson made his debut for Derbyshire, the First World
War had been over for less than two years, women were being admitted
to degrees at Oxford University for the first time and the first
'talkie' films were still eight years away.
On Monday, James Metcalf Hutchinson (born Nov 29, 1896), will reach
the age of 102 years and 253 days at his home in Thurnscoe, South
Yorkshire, and will claim his own mark in history by becoming the
longest-lived first-class cricketer, overtaking the record of South
African fast-bowler Rupert de Smidt, who lived from 1883 to 1986 and
played for Western Province between 1911 and 1913.
Hutchinson, a former miner whose career stretched from 1920 to 1931,
is described in Derbyshire's official history as "a useful
middle-order batsman and medium-pace off-break bowler". It adds that
"his forte" was magnificent fielding at cover-point and claims that
he was "perhaps the most outstanding fielder in the county's history".
In 255 matches for Derbyshire he scored 7,042 runs, with five
centuries, for an average of 18.63 and claimed 31 wickets at 39.94
apiece.
His wife, Anne, says that after a period in care following a chest
problem he is now back home and "getting about well" using a Zimmer
frame.
She adds: "He has always had phenomenal energy and wonderful health
and puts his longevity down to good food and keeping busy. In fact,
he's eaten the wrong things all his life - pork chops, fried onion
rings and suchlike - but has very rarely smoked and has been a
virtual tee-totaller.
Former Yorkshire captain Phil Carrick would like it to be known that
he is alive, well and umpiring second XI cricket - not, as persistent
rumour has suggested, lingering at death's door with a terminal
illness.
For much of this season the county circuit has buzzed with
sympathetic accounts of Carrick's supposedly advanced state of
decline, but from Chelmsford, where he was standing in Essex's second
XI game game against Middlesex this week, he insisted: "It's
completely untrue.
"I'm aware that a story about me having terminal cancer has been
doing the rounds, which has been horrible for my family, but I can
assure everybody I'm fine.
"I do have chronic lymphatic leukaemia, which is a very mild
condition, and on a couple of occasions earlier this summer I was
quite poorly when infections set in.
"But the condition is treatable with medication and occasional
transfusions and the specialists assure me there is no reason why I
shouldn't live another 30 years or more and die of something else.
"Umpiring is a physically demanding job and you couldn't do it unless
you were in good shape. I'm thoroughly enjoying it and looking
forward to getting a chance to move up the first-class list
eventually."
Bad light will not stop play when the first total eclipse of the sun
to be seen in Britain for more than 70 years turns day to night in
the late morning of next Wednesday.
"We thought about that and planned well in advance with a memo to all
who might be affected," says ECB press officer Brian Murgatroyd.
"Those counties involved in matches on that day have been told they
can delay the start of play until after the eclipse, which we reckon
should mean noon at the latest."
Hampshire League club Steep had their first pitch invasion last
weekend when 20 "ecstatic" spectators mobbed Rudi Antrobus after he
hit five sixes in a final over from which 30 runs were needed to
claim victory against top-of-the-table Burridge.
The last over actually yielded 33 but Steep were unable to present
Antrobus with the ball as a souvenir."
Scorer Giles Williams explained: "It disappeared under a tractor and
was lost in the next field - the third ball to go missing in that one
amazing over."
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)