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

115 and Jimmy Binks plus Norman Yardley and Trueman both bowled. However the match was to turn round in the second innings – with centuries from Close and Wilson, and with Johnny wicketless, there was an eight wicket win for Yorkshire. If the 1955 season saw the start of a transition in the Somerset side, they did manage four wins in this season. Johnny still took 71 wickets at 26.12 apiece, and his batting aggregate, at 1,128, was his highest for a season. When he made 122 in a second innings follow-on that saved the match for Somerset in the return match against Worcestershire at Worcester, he made the highest score of his first-class career. He batted in a huge stand with Maurice Tremlett who scored 96 and this with rain saved Somerset from defeat. The same day as that highest ever score it was announced that Johnny had asked to be released from his county contract and he left the Somerset staff at the end of the season. Ostensibly Johnny wanted to retire – and it was he who announced his retirement, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family and at his cricket school. The Somerset County Gazette of August 13, 1955 wrote: “ Lawrence who is 41, has, it is stated been released from his two-year contract at his own request….” [He was in fact 44!] While these things were no doubt all true, we yet do not know if some of this might have been to do more with the fact that a world class batting star (a 2000-runs a season man!) and ex-Test all-rounder Colin McCool from Australia – who was also a leg spin and googly bowler – who had been summering (or wintering from his point of view) in the Lancashire League with East Lancashire was qualifying to play for Somerset and would be qualified in time for the start of the 1956 season. However well Johnny was performing – who knows – it may have been suggested to him that he was no longer sure of his place for the following season. Or he may have felt this even if nobody actually said so. We can only speculate. Ironically A first class career with Somerset