Hedley Verity

Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow leftarm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956160wickets in firstclass cricket at an average of 14.90 and 144 wickets in 40160Tests at an average of 24.37. Named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1932, he is regarded as one of the most effective slow leftarm bowlers to have played cricket. Never someone who spun the ball sharply, he achieved success through the accuracy of his bowling. On pitches which made batting difficult, particularly ones affected by rain, he could be almost impossible to bat against.

Verity was born in Leeds and, from an early age, wished to play cricket for Yorkshire. After establishing a good reputation in local cricket, he signed a contract as a professional cricketer playing in the Lancashire League. His first season was not a success but, after moving clubs, he began to make a name for himself. Initially a mediumpaced bowler, he switched to bowling spin in an attempt to secure a place in the Yorkshire team. When Wilfred Rhodes, the incumbent Yorkshire leftarm spinner, announced his retirement, Verity had a successful trial in the team in 1930, and led the national bowling averages. In 1931, his first full season, he achieved the rare feat of taking allwickets in an innings, against Warwickshire County Cricket Club the following year, he again took allwickets, against Nottinghamshire, while conceding justruns. The latter bowling figures remain, as of 2015, a record in firstclass cricket for the fewest runs conceded while taking allwickets. He es

Source: Wikipedia