Famous Cricketers No 87 - J.H.Wardle

There is some evidence to suggest that Wardle was a difficult player to handle. Ray Illingworth, for one, has said how hard he could be on some of the more inexperienced members of the team and Yorkshire may have been right to dispense with the services of a man who had possibly become a disruptive influence. It should be noted that in 1959, the first season after Wardle left, Yorkshire won the County Championship. Wardle played in the Lancashire League for Nelson and Rishton from 1959. His 101 wickets for Nelson in 1959 took them to runners-up in the Lancashire League. In ten years of Lancashire League cricket he took 1143 wickets, being much too good for the majority of batsmen at that level. In 1962, playing for Nelson against Todmorden, he hit a century and took six for 39 in the game. His four seasons at Nelson brought him 343 wickets. After signing for Rishton in 1963 he helped them to win the Worsley Cup twice, in 1964 and 1967 and also to the League runners-up spot three years in succession. Wardle played Minor County cricket for Cambridgeshire from 1963 to 1969. In his first season with them they won the Minor Counties Championship for the first time in their history with Wardle taking eighty-one wickets in nine matches. In seven seasons for Cambridgeshire he took 316 wickets at an average of 14.40. In 1969 he returned to South Yorkshire with Barnby Dun, a Doncaster League Club, for whom he took 107 wickets that year at 5.34. In 1970 his 93 wickets cost 6.46 each. In his later years he kept in touch with cricket as groundsman at the Doncaster Club. Wardle was reconciled with Yorkshire who made him a Honorary Life Member in 1970 and later, in 1984, gave him a post as a bowling consultant with the Club. He was also made an Honorary Life Member of the MCC. Johnny Wardle died at Hatfield, near Doncaster on 23rd July 1985 after a long illness. He was 62 years old. In all first-class cricket he scored 7333 runs at an average of 16.08 and took 1846 wickets at an average of 18.97. England would give a lot to discover another bowler as good as he was. 1946 Wardle made his Championship debut for Yorkshire in a match against Worcestershire at Headingley in July 1946. He was given only three overs in Worcestershire’s first innings taking no wickets for 10 runs but, in a low scoring match, his two not out innings of 10 and 2, both batting at number 10, were invaluable to his side who eventually won the match by one wicket. Arthur Booth’s consistency meant there were no more opportunities for Wardle in that first post-war season. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 1. Yorkshire v Worcestershire, Headingley, July 20, 22 (Yorkshire won by one wicket) not out 10 152 3 0 10 0 119 not out 2 90-9 121 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 50 Ct Championship 1 2 2 12 10* - - - Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Strike RunR Championship 3 0 10 0 - - - - - 55.55 5