Editing Len Hutton (section)

===First years with Yorkshire===
[[File:Herbert Sutcliffe.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Herbert Sutcliffe]] in 1924: Sutcliffe recognised Hutton's potential in Pudsey during 1929. He later established an opening partnership with Hutton and wrote that his partner was "a marvel&nbsp;– the discovery of a generation".<ref name=H21/>| alt= A cricketer ready to bat.]]
By 1933, Hutton was regularly opening the batting for the Pudsey St Lawrence first team in the [[Bradford Cricket League]]. By close observation of his opening partner, the former Yorkshire county batsman [[Edgar Oldroyd]], Hutton further developed his batting technique, especially in defence. The local press soon identified Hutton as a player of promise, particularly after he scored a match-winning 108 [[not out]] in the [[Priestley Cup]].<ref>Howat, pp. 10–11.</ref> Senior figures within Yorkshire cricket identified him as a potential successor to [[Percy Holmes]] as an opening partner to Sutcliffe; at this stage in his career, Hutton was also considered a promising [[leg spin]] bowler.<ref>Howat, pp. 13–15.</ref> In the 1933 season Hutton was selected for the Yorkshire Second Eleven. Although he failed to score a run in either of his first two innings, over the season he scored 699 [[Run (cricket)|runs]] at an [[Batting average (cricket)|average]] of 69.90.<ref>Howat, pp. 12–13.</ref> Yorkshire appointed [[Cyril Turner (cricketer)|Cyril Turner]] as Hutton's mentor; [[Hedley Verity]] and Bowes also offered Hutton guidance in his early career.<ref>Howat, p. 17.</ref><ref name="Hodgson, p. 139">Hodgson, p. 139.</ref>

Hutton made his first-class debut for Yorkshire in 1934, at the age of 17 the youngest Yorkshire player since Hirst, 45 years earlier.<ref name=H15-16/> In his first match, against [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]], he was [[run out]] for [[duck (cricket)|a duck]] but scored an unbeaten 50 runs in his second match; he followed this with another half-century against [[Warwickshire County Cricket Club|Warwickshire]] on his [[County Championship]] debut.<ref name=H15-16>Howat, pp. 15–16.</ref><ref name=figures>{{cite web| url = https://cricketarchive.com/cgi-bin/player_oracle_reveals_results2.cgi?playernumber=694&opponentmatch=exact&playername=&resulttype=All&matchtype=All&teammatch=exact&startwicket=&homeawaytype=All&opponent=&endwicket=&wicketkeeper=&searchtype=InningsList&endscore=&playermatch=contains&branding=cricketarchive&captain=&endseason=&startscore=&team=&startseason=| title = Player Oracle (L Hutton)| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date =27 October 2010}}</ref> He played regularly for the rest of the season but to prevent his overexposure to Championship cricket, Yorkshire limited his appearances and returned him periodically to the second eleven.<ref>Howat, pp. 19–20.</ref> In matches for the first team, Hutton shared large first-wicket [[Partnership (cricket)|partnerships]] with [[Wilf Barber]]<ref name="Howat, p.16">Howat, p. 16.</ref> and with [[Arthur Mitchell (cricketer)|Arthur Mitchell]], before scoring his maiden first-class century in an innings of 196 against [[Worcestershire County Cricket Club|Worcestershire]].<ref>Howat, p. 19.</ref> At the time, he was the youngest Yorkshire batsman to score a first-class century.<ref name=ODNB/> He finished the season with a total of 863 runs at an average of 33.19;<ref name=fcbatting>{{cite web| url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/694/f_Batting_by_Season.html| title = First-class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Len Hutton| publisher = CricketArchive| access-date =5 February 2010}}</ref>

An operation on his nose before the 1935 season delayed Hutton's appearance on the cricket field that year. Attempting to return too quickly, he endured poor health which limited his subsequent appearances and effectiveness; by the middle of August he had scored a total of just 73 runs.<ref>Howat, pp. 21–22.</ref> A century against [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex]] led to run of bigger scores, and his contribution to Yorkshire's County Championship victory that season<ref name=ccposn>{{Cite book| title = Wisden Cricketers' Almanack| year = 2010| publisher = John Wisden & Co| chapter = LV County Championship: County Championship Final Positions 1890–2010| page = 575}}</ref> was 577 runs at an average in first-class matches of 28.85.<ref name=figures/><ref name=fcbatting/> In the winter of 1935–36 Hutton went on his first overseas tour, as Yorkshire visited Jamaica.<ref name="Howat, p.23">Howat, p. 23.</ref> In the 1936 season he reached 1,000 runs in a season for the first time—1,282 runs at an average of 29.81—and was awarded his [[county cap]] in July.<ref name=fcbatting/><ref>Howat, p. 25.</ref> He took part in several large partnerships through the season, including one of 230 with Sutcliffe, although he experienced a sequence of low scores in May and June.<ref name=H245>Howat, pp. 24–25.</ref>

Throughout his first seasons, Hutton faced press criticism for his caution and reluctance to play attacking shots. Although regarding him a certain England selection in the future, critics thought Hutton slightly dull and pedestrian.<ref name=ODNB/> Yorkshire remained unconcerned;<ref name=ODNB/><ref>Howat, p. 28.</ref> cricket writer Alan Hill believes Hutton's subsequent success was built on this initial establishment of a defensive technique.<ref name=H245/><ref>Hill, pp. 170–71.</ref> His achievements brought limited recognition, owing to the high level of expectation surrounding him.<ref name=coy/> This sense of frustration was heightened by comments from Sutcliffe in 1935, when he wrote that Hutton was "a certainty for a place as England's opening batsman. He is a marvel&nbsp;– the discovery of a generation ... His technique is that of a maestro."<ref name=H21>Howat, p. 21.</ref> Such praise was rare from Sutcliffe, but Hutton found the comments a burden, while others found them embarrassing.<ref name=ODNB/><ref name=H21/><ref>Hill, p. 169.</ref>