Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

winning only 11 out of 42 matches. Apart from 1927 when second place was obtained, Notts had always finished in the bottom quarter of the table. Eventually Notts withdrew from the competition after a disastrous season in 1931, when no matches were won. Nevertheless the young players did have an opportunity to play competitive cricket. Notts’ lack of success was due to a lack of penetrative bowling: there was nothing the matter with the batting. All the young players who broke through to the first eleven were batsmen – ‘Young George’ Gunn, Keeton, Harris and Joe himself. Lack of bowling resources was to prove a huge problem in the years to come. In 1929 Joe appeared in seven of the eight matches. The first game was to prove a memorable one for him as he scored his first century for Nottinghamshire. On 20 May Notts travelled the short distance to Melton Mowbray to play Leicestershire’s second eleven. Notts batted first and Joe took out his bat for 114 in a total of 242. Only Frank Shipston made 41 and the next highest score was 18. The match was tightly contested. Leicestershire, having been set 152 to win, finished four runs short of their target with seven wickets in hand. The century was the high point of the season for Joe. Apart from 44 against Yorkshire seconds he scored 142 in his remaining eleven innings. He made more of an impact in Club and Ground games, scoring 42 against Notts Amateurs and 59 in a match against Nottingham University, when he also took three for 7 in three overs. This was, of course, the summer when Notts were champions for the first time since 1907. They carried all before them, winning 14 of their 28 championship matches and losing only two. By contrast the second team failed to win any of its matches, indicating a huge disparity between the standard of cricket played by the two elevens. Once again there were appearances for Annesley. On 25 May Joe made 55 against New Hucknall and two weeks later scored 92 against Jacksdale. The following week, on 6 July, Annesley ran up a score of 226 against Pinxton, to which Joe contributed 125. Pinxton were then dismissed for 24, J.Hickling taking six for 13. In what was described as ‘a fine innings’ Joe made 69 against Rufford and later he hit 76 off the Bentinck bowling and also took four for 26. Groundstaff to First Eleven, 1928-1930 17