Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

be no payment. In addition to his playing activities, every professional was required to undertake all the duties detailed when Joe had originally joined the staff in 1928. The winter of 1934/35 was not a happy one for Nottinghamshire. The bodyline crisis rumbled on, with the county’s committee at the centre. There had been complaints about the bowling of Larwood and Voce, specifically relating to the matches against Lancashire, the Australians and Middlesex. Both Lancashire and Middlesex threatened not to renew fixtures for 1935. The committee did not consider that the Lancashire complaint was justified, but by December Notts had expressed their regret about Voce’s bowling against both the Australians and Middlesex, 17 although they did not take any disciplinary action against him. By this time it would appear that the committee had had enough of Carr as captain who had been more than vociferous in his support of Larwood and Voce. George Heane and Stuart Rhodes were appointed jointly in Nottinghamshire and England, 1934-1935 31 F.I.Walden (left) and ‘Old Joe’ Hardstaff going out to umpire the Test between England and Australia at Old Trafford in July 1934. 17 The problem with the Australian match was really confined to Voce’s two overs on the second evening which consisted of short bumping balls flying around the batsmen’s heads and shoulders. In the Middlesex match, Voce had caused Len Muncer to retire hurt and had struck Robert Beveridge, although newspaper reports suggested that the problem was a lively pitch.