Page "Martin Hawke, 7th Baron Hawke" Paragraph 61

Writing during Hawke's career, K. S.

Ranjitsinhji in his Jubilee Book of Cricket ( 1897 ) describes Hawke as " a capital leader of men ".

The measure of his success as a captain was that Yorkshire under his leadership won the County Championship title 8 times.

Hawke was an archetypal amateur gentleman playing at a time when professionals were generally viewed as second-class citizens but Hawke, who had great admiration for the professional cricketers in his charge was determined to improve their status and give them respectability.

He insisted on discipline and neatness from his professionals and, in return, he gave them a financial stability they had formerly lacked.

He instituted winter pay after the 1896 season, initially £ 2 per week, and established a merit system which resulted in payment of bonuses.

In the longer term, he persuaded the club committee to retain and invest for the player two-thirds of his benefit money instead of handing him the whole amount to spend freely.

Above all, wrote Swanton, he " deserves to be remembered for what he did for the pros ".

Hawke's financial policies were a great success at Yorkshire and his legacy was a general improvement in the finances and status of professional players everywhere as other counties followed his lead.

W. G.

Grace in his Reminiscences ( 1899 ) commented that Hawke " succeeded in introducing an esprit de corps and a standard of discipline, from the absence of which the county had been suffering ".

Grace added that Hawke " is a splendid captain, inspiring his men by the example he gives them of pluck and resource ".