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

217 63 and took three wickets as Brighouse, second in the table, clung on to dear life to survive in a draw after the championship had already been decided. 1939 He followed up the opening win by helping a succession of wins in May with 30 and five for 60 at home to Brighouse, three wickets at Keighley and six for 46 versus Bradford and 49 (run out) in a win at Bowling Old Lane before May was out; 49 run out is somehow a typical effort – always thinking of his team and looking for the quick single – never troubled by failing to reach a statistical landmark. Whether some of his batting efforts were really in the best interests of the teams he played for it is questionable that he was not more prudent sometimes but this is the spirit with which he played the game. June started with a defeat to Bingley who were leading the league at this stage of the season. Johnny had three wickets, a catch and was again run out this time for 50. Then eight for 59 at home to Pudsey St Lawrence devastated the opposition and Windhill won by 106 runs. Then defeat came at home to Lightcliffe in the Priestley Cup with Johnny out for nought and but two wickets. Yet he and his team were on song again as they returned to league matches and he scored 15 and took five for 20 in a huge win over East Bierley. A high scoring match at Brighouse saw Johnny score 93 out of 234 all out but end up on the losing side though he took two of the five Brighouse wickets that did fall. There was some devastating rainy weather in July with two matches completely lost to it and then Windhill were unable to make a reply after Johnny had taken three wickets and three catches at Bowling Old Lane. Finally on July 29 Johnny claimed eight wickets for 27 at Undercliffe to cause them to be skittled out for 77 and J.A Swift living up to his surname to rattle 52 not out of the runs required just in time as the rain started. However the following week rain cruelly thwarted Windhill again at home to Spen after Johnny had taken six for 46. Windhill were still only joint top of the table with Bingley. The adversaries met on August 12 at Windhill and Johnny’s four wickets helped restrict Bingley to 96 all out. Despite a duck from Johnny and low scores from the likes of Swift and Hipkin Windhill won this thriller by three wickets. Appendix Two: Some of Johnny Lawrence’s league career in more detail