Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

was out for nought, Sims helped Joe score 91 for the ninth wicket. With Baxter taking four for 63, the Australian XI was dismissed for 227. Going in again, MCC made 207 for nine, with Joe scoring 63. Needing 392 for victory, the Australian XI was dismissed for 188 with the wickets being shared by Sims, Parks and Baxter. In the course of the match Joe had made 293 runs and was out only once. In recognition of this feat the New South Wales Cricket Association presented him with a mounted and inscribed cricket ball. Many years later, Joe gave this memento to his good friend John Arlott and after Arlott died it was sold at auction. Hans Ebeling presented Joe with two photographs showing Joe in full flight driving the ball. One was inscribed ‘Well played, Joe. 230 not out. Sydney, December 1935. From Hans Ebeling’. The second was a present for ‘Old Joe’ and was inscribed. ‘The Old Man couldn’t have done better. 230 not out. Sydney, December 1935. From Hans Ebeling’. The picture given to Joe 22 hangs today in his son’s home next to one showing Joe being presented to King George VI at Lord’s in 1946. Joe’s first trip to Australia had proved to be very successful. He had scored 634 runs at an average of 70.44, which looked most promising in view of the fact that a full-strength England team would be seeking to regain the Ashes in the following season. In The Cricketer , Mr Justice H.V.Evatt was full of praise for Joe, writing, ‘Hardstaff batted with tremendous confidence and verve on the Sydney ground, his success recalling that of MacLaren on the same ground.’ He looked forward to seeing him again the following season. It was also said that his off drive reminded watchers of his father, ‘Old Joe’. The tourists now moved on to New Zealand, playing a further 18 matches spread over 80 days, during which they crossed between North and South Island three times. Eight of these games were first-class: one each against Wellington, Auckland, Canterbury and Otago as well as four against New Zealand which Wisden styled as ‘Unofficial Test Matches’. 23 The remaining ten matches were all of two days duration. With MCC to Australia and New Zealand, 1935/36 41 22 The oil painting of Joe which hangs in the Long Room at Trent Bridge is based on this photograph. (See page 121.) 23 In contrast to 1929/30 when the representative matches somehow gained the status of Test Matches.