Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

At their meeting on 16 November 1937 the Board of Control of Test Matches At Home had agreed the Fifth Test Match in 1938 would be played to a finish if the difference in matches won was not greater than one. As only the Fourth Test had ended in a definite result this rule came into play. The irony, of course, was that even if England won, Australia had already made certain of the Ashes as the side holding them retains them in a drawn series. The selectors thus prepared for a ‘timeless’ match. Fourteen players – eight of whomwere specialist batsmen – were summoned to The Oval. The players concerned were Hammond, Hutton, Fagg, Edrich, Paynter, Compton, Hardstaff, Leyland, Ames, Goddard, Bowes, Verity, Wright and Farnes. Shortly beforehand Ames and Wright were injured. Wood replaced Ames and the selectors sent for Peter Smith and Nichols, both of whom had been playing for Essex against Middlesex at Lord’s. Thus the party assembled for selection reached fifteen. On Saturday, 20 August Fagg, Goddard, Nichols and Smith were omitted. England therefore went into the match with seven batsmen, a wicket-keeper and three bowlers. It was a huge gamble as all depended on gaining first use of a pitch 74 Regular England Player, 1937-1939 The England side, with only three specialist bowlers, which scored 903 for seven declared at The Oval in August 1938. Standing (l to r): W.J.Edrich, A.E.Fagg, W.E.Bowes, L.Hutton, J.Hardstaff, D.C.S.Compton, A.Wood (wk). Seated: H.Verity, K.Farnes, W.R.Hammond (capt), M.Leyland, E.Paynter. (Fagg was twelfth man.)