Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

consisted of Walker, Barratt, the Staples brothers, Lilley, Larwood, Voce, Shipston, ‘Young George’ Gunn and Hardstaff. After a minute’s silence in memory of Whysall, Notts batted first. Joe was bowled by Maurice Tate for two out of a total of 267. Sussex replied with 308. Going in again on the second day Lilley and Arthur Staples put on 106 for the first wicket. Joe went in at No.4 and at close of play on the Monday he was unbeaten on 26, having been dropped by James Langridge off the bowling of Bowley when he had scored six. The next day – Tuesday, 5 May – he scored his maiden first-class century in only his fourth first-class match. His undefeated 104 was made in 170 minutes and included ten fours. The Nottingham Guardian reported that ‘There was revealed in his game yesterday a coolness and a confidence truly surprising for a batsman still well in his teens, 9 the gracefulness of style, which always stamps the good cricketer in the making and the soundness of footwork, that was never better shown than in the execution of the off-drive.’ This was the first of his 65 hundreds for Nottinghamshire. After Joe had reached his century Making His Way, 1931-1934 22 Shoulder to shoulder. Nuncargate neighbours Joe Hardstaff, newly capped aged 19, and Harold Larwood, who had already made 15 Test appearances, in the 1931 season. 9 Joe was just under two months short of his twentieth birthday. For some time the press were in error about Joe’s age. In June 1935 The Cricketer , when reporting on his selection as twelfth man for the First Test against South Africa, said that he was ‘not quite 22’ when, in fact, he was not quite 24.