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

153 which could be at home at Otterburn or sometimes away. In 1975 – on August 3 in fact – he played in a match to celebrate the centenary of Somerset County Cricket Club at Clarence Park, Weston super Mare. He played for an Old Somerset XI against a Celebrity XI, which included television personalities and former footballers including Ted Drake, the famous Arsenal and England striker. This match was played on a Sunday and it reflects Johnny’s changed view about doing so. After the move of his nets to Lordswood, near Tadcaster, he had his own ground in front of the nets and we have a match in which he was umpiring even in the year of his eventual death, 1988. The photos of this match come courtesy of Paul Thorpe who then was a young batsman playing for Johnny’s eleven against Yorkshire Gentlemen. Paul – playing for the home side – is seeing walking back after his dismissal. Johnny had got the home team together. Johnny was no longer playing – he was umpiring. His son Stephen was certainly playing. He contributed greatly – in fact was the greatest singular contributor – to cricket in the middle of winter in an annual match on Boxing Day. We find that he also played in the summer for Northern Cricket Society’s over 50s in a match against Wombwell Cricket Lovers Society’s over 50s. Johnny would regularly take his side to certain venues in friendly fixtures. One such venue was Newby Hall near Ripon. Half the team was often from his family and they would arrive along with Malcolm Naylor in Johnny’s camper van. Tony Boycott, Geoff’s brother, was another who was often in Johnny’s team. They played at such venues as Ampleforth, Craven Gentlemen, and Sedburgh. Johnny played in matches at many of the school venues in which he was involved, including Leeds Grammar School versus MCC. After his complete league cricket retirement which came after the Leeds seconds debacle in 1977 (to be described) Johnny played in only a few friendlies. He did play in at Johnny in Friendly Cricket