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

214 unofficially, of course, to play for them. I had to write to Somerset and tell them my circumstances had changed and I would like to stay in Yorkshire. Two committee men helped me write the letter. That winter I was very uneasy for I had been looking forward, so much, to play for Somerset. In January 1946 my eldest son, Miles, aged six, was very ill; we stayed up every night in hospital for two weeks; we nearly lost him and he was very weak. This changed my mind about staying in Yorkshire and my wife and I thought going down to Somerset would build Miles up. Also the change would do all the family good. So I wrote to Somerset and told them I had changed my mind and would like to play for them. They were very pleased and I got a lot of publicity. I was to have replaced Hedley Verity, who had been killed in Italy. Yorkshire approached Arthur Booth to fill the vacancy which he did very well, topping the English averages. Johnny Wardle came soon afterwards.  My first match with Somerset was against Essex. I had lots of publicity and was on good form at the Nets. I expected getting a Century. Instead I got a duck, which took most of my confidence away. I tried to hit a big China man into cover and got castled. Everybody was expecting big things and I let them down. However, second innings, our senior professional came to me. He said he had talked with the Essex boys and they were going to get me off the mark – I was silly enough to believe him. When I arrived at the wicket, not only was Taylor bowling China men and googlies, Peter Smith was also bowling funny stuff (leg spinners and googlies). They crowded round me and instinctively I knew it was all a tale about me getting off the mark. I had to struggle to get off; I only just managed it. I had a good christening with the bowling too; Tom Pearce, the Captain of Essex, made 150 not out. I must have had about forty passes, but he just grinned every time as he was just playing for googlies and missing the leg spinners. First class cricket was going to be harder than I thought. I enjoyed my fielding so much that I went for everything and with practicing all April I had bruised or damaged a bone in my hand. It was the bottom of my third finger which I used to spin the ball. I could not bear the weight of the ball on it. I had to start spinning off the middle finger. I dared not say anything in case I was out of the team. It was a big change going from Yorkshire to Somerset. The players ... [Unfortunately this is where these notes finished and this is all we have!] Appendix One: Johnny Lawrence’s notes on his cricketing career