Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

Chapter Two Groundstaff to First Eleven, 1928-1930 Thus in the spring of 1928 ‘Young Joe’ Hardstaff joined the Nottinghamshire groundstaff. From now until his retirement in 1955 – apart from his war service with the Royal Artillery – Joe’s life would centre entirely upon cricket. It was to take him to Australia, New Zealand, India, the West Indies and – in a coaching capacity – South Africa. In his own words, ‘I had a wonderful life.’ The playing staff differed very little from the group of players that his father had left in 1924. The established players were George Gunn, Payton, Whysall, Richmond, Walker, Barratt, Bill Flint, Matthews, Lilley, Larwood, Sam and Arthur Staples and the young Bill Voce. In charge of this talented and highly experienced group was the amateur, Arthur Carr. It was very much a local club. Between 1919 and 1939 only 72 players appeared for Notts and of these there are about thirty who would have been described as regulars. Of the 72, only ten were born outside the county. As with Lancashire and Yorkshire, amateurs were in a very small minority. Between 1919 and 1934 Arthur Carr was the only regular amateur. His successor, George Heane, was in a similar position during his captaincy between 1936 and 1946. R.D.F.Bland, the Old Salopian pace bowler, appeared 33 times between 1929 and 1934 before stockbroking claimed his attention. Amateurs such as R.H.T.Turner, G.O.Gauld, J.F.Bishop and Lionel Kirk really only played when required to captain the team in the absence of Carr. 13 Joe’s birth certificate. His birthplace, at East Kirkby, qualified him to play county cricket for Nottinghamshire.