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Starved yet batted all day
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In 1898 Jack Brown and John Tunnicliffe put on 554 runs for the first wicket against Derbyshire. This, for 34 years, was the record partnership in First-class cricket.
Unknown to the crowd, Tunnicliffe was not at his strongest on that day.
He had spent the previous night at an inn in Leeds where he had found conditions dirty and unsuitable for living. He sat up all night sleepless in the fear of a damp bed. In the morning, he had to catch the train befoe breakfast was served.
He did not like batting on a full stomach and at 12'o clock he went out after having consumed just one biscuit.
At lunch, the great crowd pressed forward for food and amidst the chaos, Tunnicliffe only managed a two penny sandwich.
Yet, at the end of the day he was still there batting. The team's score by then had reached 503. They added another 51 runs in 19 minutes in the next morning.
Acknowledgement: Five Five Five by Stephen Chalke.