Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

July, the selectors again omitted Clay and made Joe twelfth man. On a very easy-paced wicket the match ended in another draw. This led to further changes for the Fifth Test at The Oval. In an attempt to avoid another draw the selectors strengthened the bowling and played only five specialist batsmen – Bakewell, Mitchell, Wyatt, Hammond and Leyland. Neither Smith nor Joe was selected, the selectors preferring Cyril Walters and Holmes. In the event Walters cried off with an injured thumb and Holmes was left out, with Barber becoming twelfth man. Clay was at last selected for his only Test, as was Read. Unfortunately the match ended in another draw. At the end of the season Joe appeared in the Folkestone Festival, representing the Players against the Gentlemen. The match was spoiled by rain and ended in a draw, but not before Joe had scored 50, adding 88 with Hammond. Joe always enjoyed batting with Hammond and thought extremely highly of him: ‘on all sorts of pitches against all sorts of bowling Wally was undoubtedly the best batsman I ever saw’. A week later, Joe was at The Oval to play for the Rest of England against Yorkshire, the champion county. On paper the Rest had a strong side – Denis Smith, Bakewell, Iddon, Hardstaff, Wellard, 36 Nottinghamshire and England, 1934-1935 Hardstaff effortlessly completing a pull shot against Surrey at The Oval in August 1935; note the position of his hands on the bat. The wicket-keeper is E.W.J.Brooks.