Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

Chapter Three Making His Way, 1931-1934 During the summer of 1930 the Nottinghamshire committee took the momentous decision to release ‘Old George’ Gunn and Wilfred Payton. George Gunn had made his debut in 1902 and was now aged 51. Payton, now 48, had first played in 1905. Although their powers showed no signs of waning, 7 the committee was anxious to give some of their junior players such as Joe, Walter Keeton and Charlie Harris a chance in the first eleven. Interestingly, and most fortuitously as it turned out, the committee decided to pay George Gunn a retainer of £100. This was to be paid in twelve monthly instalments for 1931 should the County require him. Payton was offered a position as assistant coach under James Iremonger. In the event Payton went to coach at Eton College in 1931 before moving on to Repton School from 1932 to 1935. On 11 November 1930 Wilfrid Whysall died in hospital in Nottingham. On 29 October he and his wife had attended a dance in Mansfield and while taking part in the ‘Paul Jones’ he slipped and grazed his elbow. Two days later he was in severe pain; septicaemia set in and on 11 November he died. His funeral in Mansfield was the largest in living memory: crowds lined the streets, traffic had to be diverted and it was reckoned that 15,000 mourners came to pay their respects when a memorial was later erected over his grave. This, of course, meant that, for 1931, Notts were without three of the four players (the other being Willis Walker) who had topped the county’s batting averages in 1930. The committee might well have thought again, but they stuck to their guns and in the first match of 1931 – a friendly against Sussex 8 – the team, led by Arthur Carr, 21 7 George Gunn had toured the West Indies with MCC the previous winter and had appeared in all the Test Matches. Payton seemed to improve with age: his best seasons were 1923 and 1926. 8 Between 1929 and 1932 every county had to play 28 Championship matches – 14 home and away. In 1931 this meant that Notts did not play Glamorgan and Sussex in the Championship. Notts therefore arranged home and away friendlies with both teams. The matches were taken seriously and full strength teams were selected.