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10 for 10: Hedley Verity and the Story of Cricket’s Greatest Bowling Feat
Hedley Verity was one of Yorkshire and England's greatest cricketers. In a career that ran from 1930 to 1939, the left-arm spin bowler took 1,956 wickets at an average of 14.90. Verity was chiefly responsible for England's only Ashes victory at Lord's in the 20th century, when his 15 wickets helped to win the 1934 Test - 14 of them captured in a single day. And he dismissed the legendary Australian batsman Don Bradman more times than anyone in Test cricket, claiming his wicket on eight occasions - and a record-equalling 10 times in first class cricket. But the high-water mark of Verity's career came during a long-forgotten County Championship match in 1932. On the Headingley ground near his birthplace, Verity returned staggering figures of 10 for 10 against Nottinghamshire - a world record that still stands.
Now, for the first time, the story of this amazing game has been told as Chris Waters narrates it in relation to Verity's career - a career that ended with the outbreak of a war in which Verity was tragically killed at the age of 38.
Warm and wistful, charming and colourful, 10 for 10: Hedley Verity and the story of cricket's greatest bowling feathonours the history of our summer sport.
Now, for the first time, the story of this amazing game has been told as Chris Waters narrates it in relation to Verity's career - a career that ended with the outbreak of a war in which Verity was tragically killed at the age of 38.
Warm and wistful, charming and colourful, 10 for 10: Hedley Verity and the story of cricket's greatest bowling feathonours the history of our summer sport.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 12, 2016
informative and detailed looking at the cricket match at headingley leeds where hedley verity took 10 for 10 for Yorkshire in the 2nd Innings against Nottinghamshire which is still a world record in cricket to this day.
April 11, 2020
Bowling Feats in cricket don’t come in public prominence or live in memory as much as batting achievements, well after all Cricket is to some extent a Batsman’s game. However, there are some deeds which are quite superlative and can’t be played down. The book is about one of such ‘once in a lifetime’ triumph of Hedley Verity when he took 10/10 for Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire on 12th July 1932, the best bowling figures in first class history of cricket.
Chris Waters weaves a great yarn about this achievement, starting from his personal association when he met one of the surviving players of the match, Frank Shipston and then also Douglas Verity, son of Headley Verity which inspired him to write the book.
The author covers the build up to the day very well with Headley’s career path, brief intro of the players of each side, the prevailing situation in County Championship etc. He also throws some vignettes about the social life during that period mainly through newspaper snippets which provide more insights to the periodical context.
The author also notes the cricketing career of Hedley Verity post this achievement in brief in semibiographical mode- his role in the Bodyline series, his duel with Bradman and others. The extremely unfortunate end period of Verity’s life (he died in 1943 due to injury sustained in WW 2 military service) is handled sensitively.
The author also provides an appendix covering the professional and personal sketch of all the players in the teams post this achievement, which is quite instructive.
The only quibble I have is a comment at the start of Chapter 10, stating the author’s fear that some meaningless match in Zimbabwe or Indian sub-continent in which some player will override Verity’s achievement. I think it is quite unfair to single out any particular area or region, the first-class standard might vary between countries but it is still the bedrock of a nation’s cricketing standard. A meaningless match might happen also in England, so I am hopeful the author will re-consider this comment in future editions.
All in all, a delightful book to hail the achievement and a genius player- Hedley Verity
Chris Waters weaves a great yarn about this achievement, starting from his personal association when he met one of the surviving players of the match, Frank Shipston and then also Douglas Verity, son of Headley Verity which inspired him to write the book.
The author covers the build up to the day very well with Headley’s career path, brief intro of the players of each side, the prevailing situation in County Championship etc. He also throws some vignettes about the social life during that period mainly through newspaper snippets which provide more insights to the periodical context.
The author also notes the cricketing career of Hedley Verity post this achievement in brief in semibiographical mode- his role in the Bodyline series, his duel with Bradman and others. The extremely unfortunate end period of Verity’s life (he died in 1943 due to injury sustained in WW 2 military service) is handled sensitively.
The author also provides an appendix covering the professional and personal sketch of all the players in the teams post this achievement, which is quite instructive.
The only quibble I have is a comment at the start of Chapter 10, stating the author’s fear that some meaningless match in Zimbabwe or Indian sub-continent in which some player will override Verity’s achievement. I think it is quite unfair to single out any particular area or region, the first-class standard might vary between countries but it is still the bedrock of a nation’s cricketing standard. A meaningless match might happen also in England, so I am hopeful the author will re-consider this comment in future editions.
All in all, a delightful book to hail the achievement and a genius player- Hedley Verity
October 6, 2017
Simply brilliant!
February 6, 2020
As perfect as the feat it commemorates.
September 30, 2014
19.4 overs; 16 maidens; 10 runs and 10 wickets. One might as well be forgiven in assuming this statistic to be a lore of fantasy. Only that it isn't. This singularly unique feat was accomplished by the brilliant Hedley Verity for Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire on the 12th of July 1932. Chris Waters after his superb biopic on Freddie Trueman now dissects the late great Verity's feat in this immensely readable book. The build up is engaging, the narration of the feat itself exciting and the follow up, exhilarating. This is a book which which would have wholeheartedly met with the approval of its wrecker-in-chief protagonist. Verity who perished gallantly during the course of World War II on account of shrapnel wounds in his chest, is said to have famously remarked to his battalion to "keep going" even after being injured. In fact it is Hedley Verity who for eternity will always heroically keep going in the hearts, minds and reminiscences of a multitude of awestruck populace on this Planet. Chris Waters has done his bet to keep the beacon shining!
April 6, 2015
A very well told tale of one of cricket's greatest feats; Hedley Verity took all ten wickets of Nottinghamshire's second innings at Leeds in June 1932. This remains the finest bowling analysis in the history of cricket.
The author has done a very good job, undergoing extensive research and backing this up with some interesting illustrations. Verity was no one match wonder and backed up this extraordinary feat with 10-36 in an earlier game. He was the best spin bowler in the 1930s and his achievements with Yorkshire and England make him, alongside Jim Laker and Derek Underwood, the finest English slow bowler of the Twentieth Century.
I wanted to know more and I felt slightly cheated when I finished. Nonetheless, an enjoyable read.
The author has done a very good job, undergoing extensive research and backing this up with some interesting illustrations. Verity was no one match wonder and backed up this extraordinary feat with 10-36 in an earlier game. He was the best spin bowler in the 1930s and his achievements with Yorkshire and England make him, alongside Jim Laker and Derek Underwood, the finest English slow bowler of the Twentieth Century.
I wanted to know more and I felt slightly cheated when I finished. Nonetheless, an enjoyable read.
May 25, 2015
An enjoyable read. While Verity achieved remarkable things in test cricket, this book is all the more interesting for its focus on an even more remarkable feat away from the international arena. Chris Waters sets the scene well, introducing all the protagonists (the pen portraits of all 22 players plus the two umpires are a nice touch) and brings the match itself to life.
February 22, 2015
I love cricket. I love history. I love cricket history. Chris Waters writes well. Lots of good anecdotes. Nice Wisden sized book.
March 31, 2018
Hedley Verity being one of my historic cricket heroes, I was keen to read ChrisWaters’ book about Verity’s famous feat of taking 10 for 10 for Yorkshire v Notts in 1932. The book did not disappoint. Apart from colourful detail of the match itself and the characters involved, it places the relevant days squarely in a deep social and historical context. It is very well written and a short but easy and rewarding read. It is a wonderful depiction of what went into that feat, the life and character of the man himself, and his peers. One of many amazing things about Verity is that nobody is able to recall a single bad thing he ever said about anybody else, nor a single bad things said about him by anyone else. Writing about Verity sometimes seems hagiographic, but he really had no faults.
June 10, 2018
Remarkable feat of a very talented gentleman told with appropriate respect
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews