 As a working class Yorkshireman he was not fully adept in social graces, and he gave his after-dinner speeches in "Pudsey English".When dealing with the press corps, Hutton used heavy silences and "developed the art when it suited him of delivering with much gravity Delphic utterances which his hearers could interpret however they pleased"

Hutton captained England in 23 Tests - of which he won 11, drew 8 and lost 4 - and proved to be one of the most successful captains in England's history.They never lost a series in which he was captain and England regained the Ashes from Lindsay Hassett's powerful 1953 Australians—the first such success in 19 years.