Lives in Cricket No 16 - Joe Hardstaff

have expected a recall but Jack Robertson was preferred and England went into the match with only five specialist batsmen. Looking back, these events are puzzling, especially as Joe had an extremely good time in 1947, demonstrating in match after match that he was back to his pre-war standard and that he was in far better form than he had been in 1946. He passed 1,000 runs at the beginning of July and, having been Len Wilkinson’s last first-class victim in the match against Lancashire at Trent Bridge, he missed two matches in late July. On his return he proceeded to score 1,268 runs at an average of 105.66 in his next eleven matches. The sequence was as follows: 52 and 25, 200*, 16 and 25, 202, 1 and 81, 47 and 102*, 127*, 7 and 34, 221* and 45*, 50 and 1*, and 32. For Notts alone he made 1,144 runs at an average of 143.00. There were three double-centuries: 200* v Somerset, 202 v Worcestershire and 221* against Warwickshire as well as 102* v Northamptonshire and 127* v Glamorgan. After an appearance in the Harrogate Festival, Joe finished his season at the Scarborough Festival, appearing for the North against the South and for the Players against the Gentlemen. In all matches Joe finished in fifth place in the averages, scoring 2,396 runs at an average of 64.75. Post-War Years, 1946-1948 97 The Nottinghamshire side which beat Yorkshire at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, in June 1947. Standing (l to r): N.Horsley, R.J.Giles (twelfth man), E.A.Meads (wk), F.H.Winrow, F.W.Stocks, A.Jepson. Seated: C.B.Harris, W.W.Keeton, T.B.Reddick (capt), J.Hardstaff, H.J.Butler. R.T.Simpson is missing.