Famous Cricketers No 87 - J.H.Wardle

385. Players v Gentlemen, Scarborough, September 4, 5, 6 (Players won by six wickets) c T.E.Bailey b G.Goonesena 1 206 23 5 53 2 A.C.Walton c T.W.Graveney 214-7d D.J.Insole b did not bat - 235-4 10 1 60 1 M.J.K.Smith c D.B.Close 226-5d 386. T.N.Pearce’s XI v West Indians, Scarborough, September 7, 9, 10 (Match drawn) st F.C.M.Alexander b G.St A.Sobers 6 355-9d 23 10 59 1 O.G.Smith c D.W.Richardson 323-7d 1 did not bat - 186-7d 18 2 60 2 O.G.Smith c D.B.Close 151-8 C.L.Walcott c D.B.Close 387. The Rest v Surrey (Champion County), Scarborough, September 11, 12, 13 (Surrey won by six wickets) c E.A.Bedser b G.A.R.Lock 9 210 9 1 33 1 P.B.H.May b 369-7d c A.J.W.McIntyre b P.J.Loader 0 239 1 0 4 0 82-4 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 50 Ct Test Match 1 1 0 11 11 11.00 - - Players v Gentlemen 1 1 0 1 1 1.00 - - Championship 24 31 5 422 46 16.23 - 5 Other Yorkshire matches 4 6 2 97 64 24.25 1 3 Other matches 2 3 0 15 9 5.00 - 1 Season 32 42 7 546 64 15.60 1 9 Career 387 497 67 7015 79 16.31 18 250 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Strike RunR Test Match 22 5 53 1 1-53 53.00 - - 132.00 40.15 Players v Gentlemen 33 6 113 3 2-53 37.66 - - 66.00 57.07 Championship 819.4 330 1707 92 7-34 18.55 5 2 53.45 34.70 Other Yorks matches 122 49 252 14 5-46 18.00 2 - 52.28 34.42 Other matches 51 13 156 4 2-60 39.00 - - 76.50 50.98 Season 1047.4 403 2281 114 7-34 20. 00 7 2 55.14 36.28 Career (6b) 15485 6169 } 33509 1751 9-25 19.13 129 27 56.03 34.15 (8b) 650.2 154 1958 So we come to the traumatic season of 1958, the year in which Yorkshire decided to dispense with the services of their left-arm spinner. Wardle’s first-class career effectively ended on August 1st at the conclusion of the match against Somerset at Bramall Lane. Having been handed his “notice” he vented his anger in a series of articles in the Daily Mail criticising the Yorkshire Committee and his captain, Ronnie Burnet. As a result of this his invitation to tour Australia with MCC in 1958/59 was withdrawn. It is interesting to speculate as to what might have happened if things had worked out differently. Yorkshire cannot be said to have missed him - they won the Championship in 1959 and 1960 - but it is arguable that the future of English Test cricket suffered as a result of Wardle’s absence. He was still only 35 and could have gone on for several years yet. He was also still a very effective bowler. In 1958 he took 91 wickets in all matches at an average of only 15.39, taking five wickets in an innings five times and ten wickets in a match twice. Against Kent at Maidstone he took ten wickets in the match for 63 runs. As a batsman he scored 303 runs at an average of 12.62 and he took seven catches. He had so much more to offer! Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 388. Yorkshire v MCC, Lord’s, April 30, May 1, 2 (MCC won by five wickets) b R.Tattersall 0 122 14 5 31 0 123 b F.H.Tyson 9 215 20.2 5 57 4 C.A.Milton c D.B.Close 217-5 R.Swetman b T.W. Graveney lbw G.Pullar c J.G.Binks 53