Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

any play on the final day of the match, with Somerset in a parlous position. A month later, against Leicestershire at Aylestone Road, Joe made 266, the highest score of his career, hitting one six and 29 fours in an innings which lasted 340 minutes. On the first day, having dismissed Leicestershire for 206 just after the tea interval, Notts were 116 for at the close, leaving Walter Keeton 56 not out and Joe on 32 not out. Driving back to Nottingham that evening in company with ‘Young George’ and Mrs Gunn, Joe called at a public house run by a former Nottingham Forest footballer who happened to be celebrating his birthday that evening. The champagne was flowing and it was in the small hours when Joe dropped off the Gunns at their home in Nottingham. Joe carried on to his home in Kirkby-in-Ashfield but, overcome with fatigue, he pulled off the road into a lay-by in Annesley Park where he fell asleep in his car. Waking up at dawn, he carried on home only to be met by a very displeased wife. A quick shower, shave and change and Joe drove back to collect ‘Young George’ from Nottingham before heading south to Leicester. George was not feeling very well and he suggested that ‘the hair of the dog’ was the answer, so having shared a bottle of champagne at the same public house, the pair carried on to Aylestone Road. George was giggling as he put on his pads, although he did not have to bat for another hour and a half. The records show that George made 67 and although he gave chances on 37 and 174, Joe, troubled by a badly blistered index finger, made 266. Notts declared at 502 for eight. Yet again rain prevented any chance of a finish, although it might be doubted whether or not an attack comprising Woodhead, Heane, Gunn, Harris and Watkin had the firepower to complete a win. The third and, from all accounts, the best of Joe’s three double-hundreds was the 243 against Middlesex at Trent Bridge, especially in view of the situation in the County Championship which had turned into a contest between North and South. By 24 August Middlesex and Yorkshire were battling it out at the top of the table. Both sides had two matches left. Middlesex had to play Notts and Surrey. Yorkshire’s opponents were Sussex and Hampshire. Victory over tenth-placed Nottinghamshire might well secure the title for Middlesex. Middlesex duly arrived at Trent Bridge. On the first day Notts were dismissed for 316, with Joe scoring 51. On the second day, thanks to centuries from Price, Hendren and Compton, Middlesex had 66 Regular England Player, 1937-1939