Len Hutton - Early Life

Early Life

Hutton was born on 23 June 1916 in the Moravian community of Fulneck, Pudsey. He was the youngest of the five children of Henry Hutton and Lily (née Swithenbank); many of the family played local cricket. From 1921, Hutton attended Littlemoor Council School in Pudsey. He soon became immersed in cricket, which he both played and read about with enthusiasm. He joined the Pudsey St Lawrence Cricket Club as a junior; at the age of 12, he made his first appearance for the club's second eleven and by 1929 had reached the first team. Locals encouraged him to meet the Yorkshire and England cricketer Herbert Sutcliffe, a neighbour, from whom Hutton received coaching in Sutcliffe's garden. Sutcliffe was impressed by the young batsman, and commended him to Yorkshire as a good prospect.

Following this endorsement, Hutton went to the county's indoor practice shed at Headingley in February 1930. George Hirst, a former Yorkshire cricketer responsible for assessing and coaching young players, believed that Hutton's batting technique was essentially already complete. Bill Bowes, the Yorkshire pace bowler, was equally impressed, and helped Hutton to correct a minor flaw in his technique. Hutton was sufficiently encouraged to decide to attempt a career in professional cricket, but at the prompting of his parents decided to learn a trade as well. He spent 1930 studying studying technical drawing and quantitative work at Pudsey Grammar School, before joining his father at a local building firm, Joseph Verity. After joining Yorkshire as a professional, Hutton continued to work for the company during the winter months in the years until the Second World War. Also during 1930, Hutton watched the Australian Don Bradman hit 334 not out at Headingley in a Test match, then a record individual score in Tests—which Hutton himself would surpass eight years later.