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

181 He should not be confused with the Malcolm Naylor who was a fast bowler for Birkenshaw CC and who frequently expresses his more right-wing views in letters to local newspapers. Our Malcolm is a socialist – very much under Johnny’s influence – and was slightly peeved by the confusion with his namesake. Malcolm was often treated as an unofficial member of the Lawrence family. Jim Love Jim Love was a star batsman for Yorkshire in the late 1970s and in the 1980s beside playing three one day internationals for England. He started going to Johnny’s nets as a young teenager and had individual coaching on Friday evenings. He played at the time for the Leeds side Kirkstall Educational. He told me: “Johnny used to bowl at me and at first I was completely bamboozled by his varieties of spin. I learnt a lot from him and it helped greatly in my subsequent development. I was occasionally coached by his brother Sam and his son Miles. Johnny had an infectious laugh which I can’t quite describe. He always wore a white polo-necked sweater.” Kevin Sharp Though a few years younger than Jim Love, Kevin Sharp was also a top batsman for Yorkshire in the same period of the late 1970s and the 1980s. He told me: “I started going to the nets at Rothwell in the early seventies when I was a young teenager before I’d had coaching from the likes of Doug Padgett and Mike Fearnley at Headingley. I was playing at that time for Leeds seconds and did have coaching there from Gerry McConniff so it is impossible to say how much I was helped by each source but I can say that Johnny’s style of coaching was to get you to express yourself and enjoy yourself. It was always fun. I always came away feeling positive. I also feel that Johnny expected a professional attitude and wanted to work with people who wanted to do well.” He told me the story that though he greatly appreciated A few of his proteges