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

161 Chapter Nineteen Aftermath to a professional career ‘Splintered wood and broken glass – the Lawrences are here’ Ilkley then Bilton At the end of 1973 at the age of 62 Johnny finally retired from professional cricket. As he had done at the first-class and minor county games, he retired while still at an apex of performance. He thought at the time of this retirement that he would play with his youngest son Stephen but as it turned out he was persuaded by his old friend Gordon Chadwick, now captain at Ilkley to play for that team in the Airedale and Wharfedale League first division. Stephen remembers himself playing at Arthington where he was dropped off by his dad on the way to Ilkley matches. Having been lured to this greater level of competition than he expected to be playing he started 1974 with great success. Johnny only played seven matches for Ilkley and in the short time there took 35 wickets and was already on course to qualify for league bowling honours as the minimum requirement was 40 wickets – and to help Ilkley to unknown achievements. But then in one match he was repeatedly hit in the chest and heart by a fearsome bowler bowling just short of a length and on a bad wicket. The result was a heart attack severe enough to land Johnny in hospital and require a slow and patient recovery. He played no further cricket in the 1974 season and after his recovery Johnny began a slightly more leisurely playing career. Geoff Boycott had intended to visit him in hospital but when he got there on the Wednesday, the day before Boycott played in the Test at Headingley, Johnny had already been discharged.