Lives in Cricket No 52 - Schooled in Cricket (2nd edition)

101 In 1952, Johnny’s average rose to 25 on the back of a lot of not out innings, but he missed the 1,000 runs. Yet in this season scored the first two centuries of his career. His first was an unbeaten 103 in the first innings against the Indians at Taunton from May 28 to 30, when he batted at nine and shared a ninth-wicket partnership of 133 with Bill Dean, whose only first-class match this was. Dean stayed with Johnny mustering 21 but just stayed in long enough to see Johnny complete his century. However Dean had been picked as a quick bowler and despite his heroic efforts with the bat failed to take a wicket in the match and was unlucky enough never to be picked again. Congratulatory telegrams to Johnny came not only from his family but also from his friend Tom Harrison, still working in the funeral business. It had been the 306th innings of Lawrence’s first-class career, and two months later, again batting at nine, he followed it with a second century, 111, against Essex at Taunton (on July 30 and 31 and August 1) this time with his friend Roy Smith playing the anchor role at the other end scoring 58. Johnny followed it with 73 not out in the second innings but Somerset still lost the match. He was Somerset’s leading wicket-taker too in 1952. His 78 wickets cost 30.45 runs each. The 1952 beneficiary at Somerset was Harold Gimblett whose benefit match was the first championship match ever played at Glastonbury on July 26, 28 and 29 versus Northamptonshire. R. C. Robertson-Glasgow describes in the Observer Gimblett’s importance to Somerset’s batting and how after he had played a few attractive strokes he was bowled by Nutter at which point there was “cast a gloom on a spectator who wore an Admiral’s hat made of paper and sank his head on his chest like Drake after a violent loss of Spanish treasure.” However such is the accidental partiality of a newspaper which only appears on Sundays that we never get a knowledge from it – let alone a description – of Gimblett’s century in the second innings on the Monday – or for that matter – of Johnny’s six wickets A first class career with Somerset