Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

Of the others Arthur Wheat was reserve wicket-keeper until 1937 when, at the age of 39, he took over from Ben Lilley. Too old to resume in 1946 he became first-eleven scorer in 1947 and remained in the post until he died in 1973, aged 75. Although capped in 1932, Frank Shipston never quite made the grade and joined the Nottingham police after the 1933 season. In 1957 he returned to Trent Bridge as the county’s coach, a position which he held until he retired in 1966. Both Taylor (a cousin of George Duckworth) and Robinson subsequently joined the Nottingham police. Having played once in 1930, Jack Reddish, who was also a professional footballer, left the staff in 1931, and later taught physical education at Elizabeth College, Guernsey. Sydney Copley had his one moment of glory before he left the staff in 1931. Despite only one first-class appearance his is a name much recalled in the annals of Anglo-Australian Test cricket. It was Copley, fielding as substitute for the injured Harold Larwood on the last day of the First Test at Trent Bridge in 1930, who took a brilliant catch to dismiss McCabe off the bowling of Tate. At this point Australia, in the persons of Bradman and McCabe, looked as though they were heading for victory. Copley’s catch, completed after a three-yard forward dive, is often said to have been the turning point leading to England’s 93-run victory. Joe Knowles was to make regular appearances in the late 1930s before finally dropping out in 1946. Hodgkinson subsequently appeared for Lincolnshire; Reid and Barnes never made any first-class appearances and soon faded from the Trent Bridge scene. Frank Matthews, who had played with considerable success in 1923 when he took 115 wickets, had not been able to maintain his momentum and this, together with the advent of Larwood, meant that his opportunities were limited. He was to leave the staff at the end of the 1928 season. On 4 May Notts offered Joe a contract. He accepted immediately and was paid £2 per week. In Joe’s own words, as told to Michael Marshall and quoted in his book Gentlemen and Players , this is what happened: ‘My father really didn’t want me to go on the groundstaff at Notts. He felt they’d given him a rough deal over his retirement. So, although he took Harold Larwood to the nets at Trent Bridge, he tried to put me off. But he was wasting his time. When Jim Iremonger saw me and sent me over to H.A.Brown, the county secretary, I was a pushover. The secretary said, “We have decided to offer you an engagement with the county,” and I just Groundstaff to First Eleven, 1928-1930 15