Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

February 1970, MCC made him an Honorary Life Member. 78 He attended the Centenary Test at Melbourne in March 1977, returning home having had a thoroughly good time meeting up with old friends. Three years later he was at Lord’s for the other Centenary Test. In 1988 he was at The Oval with Len Hutton to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the famous Oval Test of 1938. Not long after this he began to age, leading a reclusive life. In late December 1989 he was taken ill while staying with his son Roger and his family in Worksop. He was admitted to the Bassetlaw and District Hospital in Worksop where he died of emphysema on 1 January 1990. The funeral took place a few days later at Mansfield Crematorium and was attended by family and friends. Reg Simpson was there, as was Jack Young of Middlesex – another who had not exactly hit it off with Gubby Allen. Joe had told his family that there was enough money for all to have a drink, which they did at The White Post, Farnsfield, near Mansfield. The family received 250 letters of sympathy, many of whose writers were unknown to them but who all said words to the effect ‘watching your father bat gave me so much pleasure’. Naturally there were obituaries in all the leading papers and cricket magazines where all saw him as the supreme stylist and agreed that his best years were lost to the War. 118 Latter Days, 1956-1990 Not forgotten. The Hardstaff family is remembered in this recent street in Kirkby Woodhouse, close to Nuncargate. 78 Along with Ken Barrington, Brian Statham and Fred Trueman, three post-war players, so perhaps his election was an afterthought of some kind.