Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

* * * * * Joe’s first-class career lasted from 1930 to 1955, during which time he scored 31,847 runs at an average of 44.35, making 83 centuries, ten of which were doubles. It must be remembered though that, apart from five wartime matches in India, he played no first-class cricket from 1940 to 1945. Aged 28 at the outbreak of war in 1939, and about two months short of his 35th birthday when he resumed for Notts in 1946, he lost what would most certainly have been his best years in the game. He would undoubtedly have scored over a hundred centuries and would very likely have scored another 15,000 runs. When he retired his Test record, of 1,636 runs at an average of 46.74, left him behind Hammond, Hutton, Compton, Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Hendren and Paynter, but ahead of Washbrook, Edrich, Ames, Rhodes, Hayward, MacLaren, J.T.Tyldesley, Graveney and Leyland. As far as his tally of 83 centuries went, by 1955 only sixteen players had scored more than his ten double-hundreds and only nineteen had scored more centuries. He has now – over fifty years later – dropped back into 38th place in the list of century scorers, but none of those who have subsequently overtaken him – apart from Bill Edrich – were deprived of six seasons when they were at the height of their powers. It might be said that he benefited from playing so many of his innings on the Trent Bridge wicket – as did any Notts batsman. His batting average in first-class matches at Trent Bridge was 52.57. On grounds away from Nottingham it was 39.68, so it is clear that he made good use of his home ground’s predictable pitches. Whatever the type of wicket, runs still have to be made, though, and there are many instances of Joe scoring runs in many other locations. Also there are and have been many good batting wickets all over the world. It should also be remembered that he scored centuries against all the other sixteen counties as well as making runs in Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies and India. 79 Above all, however, he will be remembered as being a supreme stylist in the company of players such as R.H.Spooner, Victor Latter Days, 1956-1990 119 79 Indeed his Test average, 46.74, was higher than his overall first-class average, 44.35, thus passing what John Arlott called ‘the acid test … averaging more in representative play than in the daily round.’