Players & Gentlemen

In England, metaphysical concepts in public life are tended as lovingly as peonies in back gardens. There is the fine distinction between the Queen as monarch and the Queen as head of the Church of England; there is the way in which India is, but at the same time is not, part of the Commonwealth. Almost as subtle are the differences in cricket between a "gentleman" (i.e., amateur) and a "player" (i.e., professional).

Today, the distinction is only evident in the annual game: Gentlemen v. Players. Until recently, in all games the players (paid by county cricket associations) used different doors from the gentlemen when they left the cricket grounds at Lord's. In the program, gentlemen were entitled to have their initials listed before their names; not so the players, who were listed only by their surnames. Professionals played on the same teams as the amateurs and were cheered with no less fervor.

However, it was not considered cricket for a professional to become the team captain. The first man for whom that unwritten rule was broken is Yorkshireman Len Hutton, one of Britain's alltime cricket greats.

The revolution came in 1952, after two decades during which English teams led by gentlemen had been beaten in the test matches with Australia (where such distinctions are taken less seriously). In desperation, the English finally selected Player Hutton to be captain. Hutton did his duty: he beat the Australians and brought home the Ashes.* Last year, under his leadership, England won again. Hutton became a national hero. But at 39, he was past his prime; a wartime accident had left one arm shorter than the other, and he had trouble holding his own against speedball bowlers. Last week, on his doctors' advice, Len Hutton retired--and all England mourned. There is no one in sight to take his place, among either gentlemen or players. "His defense was an iron curtain," wrote the Times; "his cover drive was the game's most classic stroke; the way he touched the peak of his cap between each ball was cricket's most famous mannerism . . .

One remembers him [as] a joy to watch, and often, as a batsman, a savior to England."

* An earthenware urn, filled with ashes symbolizing the cremated body of English cricket.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.