Maurice Leyland (20 July 1900 – 1 January 1967), 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.
He made 2,764 runs for England at 46.06 with 9 hundreds and 10 fifties, with a highest score of 187. Seven of those nine hundreds came against Australia, against whom he scored 1,705 runs at an average of 56.84. He also took 6 wickets with a best of 3 for 91. In 686 first-class games overall he compiled 33,660 runs at 40.50 with a highest score of 263 in 1936 against Essex at Hull. He made 80 centuries and 154 fifties. 26,191 of them were for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, for whom his average was 41.05. He took 466 first-class wickets at an average of 29.31 with a best of 8 for 63. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929 but is remembered just as much for his dry wit as the remorseless weight of his figures.
"Nervous? Of course I'm nervous. There you are, out in t' middle an' there's 30,000 people all knowin' better what to do than you do." He was frank about the physical courage required to face fast bowlers in the days before helmets. "Nobody likes 'em, but some of us don't let on."
Read more about Maurice Leyland: Early Years and Success For Yorkshire, Ten Years At The Top of Test Cricket, Yorkshire Record Breaker, Coaching, Death