Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

nine, made in seven and a quarter hours, during which time the Notts bowlers sent down 163 overs and five balls. A draw was now the only realistic result, but it was vital for Notts to avoid losing all their wickets for in that case Lancashire would take five points and Notts three. If, however, there were wickets in hand both sides would obtain four points. At this stage of the season every point mattered as the Championship was still undecided. Four counties, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, were still in the running. This meant that Notts had to score 319 in 255 minutes in order to obtain full first-innings points. Whysall left at three. George Gunn was run out with the score at 90. He was replaced by Joe, batting at No.4, who joined Willis Walker, but Walker and then Lilley were dismissed at 120. Arthur Staples was caught and bowled by Iddon for six with the score standing at 133 for five. Joe was now joined by Sam Staples and together they played out time. When stumps were drawn at 5.55pm Notts had reached 192 for five and had shared the first-innings points. 6 Joe was unbeaten with 53, having batted for 105 minutes and hitting six fours. The Nottingham Guardian was full of praise: ‘The colt could not have been submitted to a more severe test’ but ‘he settled down to play delightful cricket which must have gladdened the hearts of the Notts committee.’ It was felt that he had inherited much of his father’s ability. The Nottingham Journal reported that he had received a pat on the back from Peter Eckersley, the Lancashire captain, and its correspondent felt that Joe had lived up to his family name. The next match was against Northamptonshire at the County Ground, Northampton. Carr, Barratt and Payton were unavailable. Joe kept his place. Carr and Barratt were replaced by G.V.Gunn and G.W.Robinson respectively and this was Robinson’s first-class debut. It was a rare, if not unique, event for two players to make their Nottinghamshire debuts in consecutive matches. Under the professional captaincy of ‘Old George’ Gunn, Notts batted first and made 297. Larwood took six for 38 in the Northants first innings. Gunn did not enforce the follow-on so Notts batted again and eventually declared, setting their hosts 407 to win. Northants Groundstaff to First Eleven, 1928-1930 19 6 For the record, Lancashire had bowled 87 overs, giving a total for the two days of 250 overs and five balls compared with the 192 overs for two days’ play in 2010. In an article in The Cricket Statistician in 1988, Peter Wynne-Thomas showed that in 1933 Notts averaged 21 overs per hour.