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

157 the North Pole on Boxing Day to see a cricket match in pitch darkness if the petrol ration were big enough [a reference to post-war rationing]. “They enjoyed themselves immensely. They leaned learnedly on the fence or drank coffee in the pavilion and wondered why no-one had thought of a Boxing Day cricket match before …” He describes Johnny’s knock as ‘sparkling’ and mentions; “[Maurice] Leyland to everyone’s disappointment was bowled for one, and Arthur Wood and Billy Sutcliffe, the other stars in the team did little better. Stars, on these occasions, rarely do.” He concluded prophetically “So successful was the match that there is every chance of its becoming a regular feature ...” of Yorkshire’s seasonal calendar. Johnny who scored 37 had been the only batsmen for either side to even reach double figures and it constituted more than half of Society’s 73 for seven declared and then Collingham and Linton were all out for the slender total of 18 with six of their twelve batsmen out for no score, Sutcliffe taking five for two, Johnny four for 16 and Leyland Two phenomena A presumably staged scene for the newspaper cameraman; Johnny sweeps at Alwoodley.