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

128 Wakefield won by eight wickets. His superlative form continued. He took 19 wickets in the first three matches (20 wickets according to the Wakefield Express ’ strange arithmetic!) as wins over Ossett and Hanging Heaton took Wakefield straight to the top of the table by May 8. No-one might have yet cast a clout, as the Yorkshire expression goes, but by the end of May Johnny had taken 36 wickets and with further wins over East Ardsley, King Cross and Thornhill, Wakefield continued their 100pc record. The first blemish to Johnny’s and Wakefield’s heroics came on the Saturday of the Whit weekend on June 5. Heckmondwike – second in the table and with son Miles opening the batting – provided the first instance of significantly stern opposition of the season to date. The whole match centered round the duel between father and son. Johnny took four wickets at the other end to Miles before finally removing him for 42. By this time Heckmondwike were starting to rally and the lower order started to collar Johnny’s bowling and for the first time in the season, skipper Wilson had to take him off. Heckmondwike managed 147 and at 133 for eight, Wakefield clung on for a draw but had lost their 100pc win record. Success continued relentlessly for Johnny and for Wakefield. One more win was yet required on August 21 to retain the league title. “John Lawrence was in his best match winning form at Hanging Heaton where the home side were shot out for a paltry 56. In the process he passed his 100-wicket mark for the season.” Colley and Wilson knocked most of the runs off and though Colley was out, this was a crushing win and came on the same day that Wakefield seconds won their title by beating opposition from the same club, Hanging Heaton. Two more trophies were still possible for the first team. Annihilation of Ossett with Johnny taking six for 39 after Wakefield had posted a huge score meant that Wakefield could still win the Yorkshire Council title. More importantly A star again in league cricket