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

119 bowling. To be a pro in that league at that time must have been rather like being a club manager in top flight football today. All expectations centred round the pro’ and success or failure of the club would often be – fairly or otherwise – attributed solely to that one pair of shoulders. There was little sentiment or inclination to, say, give the man more time – and this was more understandable than in the world of present day football with the limitations on funding in league cricket and the fact that teams in the Lancashire League were only allowed one pro. Johnny’s broad shoulders bore the task nobly. He took 54 wickets including six for 35 versus Lowerhouse. His average was 16.01. He was thus top of the club’s bowling averages. He top scored on several occasions and scored 463 runs at an average of 22.05 with the bat finishing third in the club’s batting averages. For most mortals this would have been an extremely good season. Johnny was certainly seen as a colourful character. The Haslingden Guardian writes of one all-too-brief batting cameo: “The game livened up with the appearance of Lawrence. Once he fell full length going down the pitch to Burrows and was out soon afterwards swinging at a ball from the same bowler.” Besides Johnny, Haslingden had three ex-professionals in their side and at the start of the season expectations had been high. Though this was not at all a bad season, personally for Johnny – in fact it is fair to say that Johnny never had a bad season anywhere throughout his playing career – he had yet not done well enough to lift the whole side into consistent performance. Although luck and the weather had not been on Haslingden’s side, ultimately, the team were unpredictable and under-achieved. Their disappointment culminated in finishing bottom of the table. Though there was no relegation, this was something which the club found extremely displeasurable. One cruel result of this was that Johnny was not re- engaged. This was the only time in Johnny’s long and A star again in league cricket