Cricketing collection of Yorkshire CCC great Hedley Verity to go under hammer

Perhaps you will kindly approach Verity and let us know as soon as possible whether he will accept the invitation and whether it would be convenient for him to be medically examined by Dr TC Hunt, 27 Queen Anne Street, Cavendish Square, W1, at the end of this week or the beginning of next, when I understand he will be playing at the Oval. MCC will then make an appointment and pay the fees for the medical examination.

The terms and conditions on which an invitation is issued are embodied in the enclosed agreements, a copy of which perhaps you will kindly ask Verity to sign.

The agreement will be confirmed by the MCC subject to the certificates from the doctor and dentist being satisfactory, vide Condition No 1 Verity should see his dentist forthwith.

Yours faithfully, W Findlay.”

The letter – dated August 15, 1932 – was written by William Findlay, the MCC secretary, to the Yorkshire secretary John Nash requesting the club’s permission for Hedley Verity to join what would become known as the Bodyline tour.

It is contained within a scrapbook that forms part of various items of memorabilia that were sold by the family of the Yorkshire and England left-arm spinner to a private collector some 20 years ago. Now that collector has decided to sell the items on through an auction conducted by Knights Auctioneers. On Friday, they will go under the hammer from 10.30am and are expected to fetch £25,000-£30,000.

Findlay’s original typewritten letter, still in good nick, shows how different player call-ups were back in those days.

No calls or text messages from Ben or Baz - or Rooty or Flem, as it is now - but a request, in the first instance, to the player’s county, just as a groom might ask his fiancee’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Over those tempestuous months in late 1932/early 1933, Findlay would spend much of his time responding to emotive cables from the other side of the world in protest at the leg theory ordered by captain Douglas Jardine.

Verity performed a holding role on the tour as Jardine rotated fast bowlers Harold Larwood and Bill Voce; he took 11 wickets in four Tests at 24.63.

Perhaps the centrepiece of the items to be auctioned is Verity’s blue MCC cap from that Bodyline tour.

“A cap from the 1932/33 Bodyline series must surely be the ultimate possession of any serious cricket cap collector,” the auction catalogue does not understate it, adding that “minor wear to inner lining” excepted, plus “one small moth hole to the peak”, it is otherwise in fine fettle. Included in this lot is Verity’s blazer pocket badge and tie from the series, the bundle expected to fetch £7,000-£10,000.

Serious cricket cap collectors might also be interested in the headgear worn by Verity during home Tests, expected to fetch £3,000-£5,000. He wore this cap against Australia at Lord’s in 1934, when his 15 wickets – including 14 in one day – helped England to their only Ashes win at the ground in the 20th century.

As if that was not enough, the ball with which Verity took 8-43 in the second innings of that match, his best Test figures, is also on sale, mounted on a silver finial and wooden base.

It carries the inscription: “England v Australia, Lord’s 1934. H. Verity bowled 58.3 overs, 23 maidens, 104 runs for 15 wickets. Well Bowled Hedley.”

Well bowled indeed.

Verity’s best figures in all first-class cricket are the best that anyone has recorded - 10 for 10 against Nottinghamshire at Leeds in 1932. The collection includes his scorecard from the match, which Yorkshire won by 10 wickets as openers Herbert Sutcliffe and Percy Holmes followed the world record feat with a century partnership that rendered it all the more miraculous.

The collection further contains various signed photographs, letters and commemorative plates telling the story of a remarkable career.

Poignantly, one of the letters is from Wilfred Rhodes, Verity’s predecessor as the left-arm spinner in the Yorkshire team, after Verity was killed in action in 1943, aged 38.

Writing to the family, Rhodes says: “Just a line to say how very sorry both my wife and I were to hear the sad news about Hedley. It is a cruel blow to us but what it means to you one cannot imagine.

“Please accept our deepest sympathy in your irreparable loss. I know you were proud of him. He was worth it, and that makes it all the harder to bear.”

For more details on the auction, visit: www.knights.co.uk​​​​​​​