Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

Joe appeared at the Scarborough Festival where he made 100 for the Players against the Gentlemen. The last match was H.D.G. Leveson Gower’s XI against the Australians. Joe scored 108 in 120 minutes, hitting two sixes and 17 fours. He completed his century with a six and was then bowled by O’Reilly. The Australians were subsequently beaten by 10 wickets. Surprisingly Joe was not selected for the 1938/39 MCC tour of South Africa. No official explanation has ever been given for Joe’s omission. The MCC’s Special Selection sub-committee first met on Wednesday, 13 July and agreed that Hammond would be captain, 42 and, subject to the concurrence of the captain, to invite Farnes, Yardley, Gibb, Ames, Bowes, Compton, Edrich, Hardstaff, Hutton and Paynter. In its issue of 6 August, The Cricketer announced the selection of Hammond, Farnes, Yardley, Gibb, Ames, Compton, Edrich, Hutton and Paynter. On Sunday, 14 August invitations were issued to Valentine, Fagg, Goddard, Perks, Wilkinson, Wright and Verity. Ames was to be senior professional and Yardley vice-captain. In the next issue of The Cricketer these invitations were announced as well as the news that Compton had declined because of his football commitments with Arsenal. Fagg later declined and was replaced by Bartlett. In the same issue, Warner, in his comments on the team, felt that it was a strong one even without Bowes, Compton, Fagg and Hardstaff. He considered that Joe needed a rest after three consecutive winter tours, even though he was going to New Zealand with Sir Julien Cahn’s XI. A rest is probably the right answer, but where the initiative came from – MCC, Notts or Sir Julien Cahn – is a matter of conjecture. Another possibility is that South African authorities may have asked for the team to contain six amateurs which obviously reduced the number of professionals. This certainly happened in 1922/23, probably leading to the omission of Hendren, and a glance at the names of the 1927/28 and 1930/31 teams bears this out. The 1938/39 party contained six amateurs – Hammond, Yardley, Bartlett, Gibb, Farnes and Valentine. Whatever the ins and outs of all this Joe did not tour with MCC. One feels that he would have prospered on South African wickets, but it was the one Test-playing country of his time that he was Regular England Player, 1937-1939 78 42 It is interesting to note that this was not unanimous; Viscount Cobham voted against his appointment.