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

218 Baildon 1957 Johnny started with the expensive figures of three for 97 but this helped Baildon in a home win over Bankfoot. He then took four for 46 at home to Great Horton, scored 18 in an abandoned match at Queensbury and scored 24 in a Priestley Cup match against Lightcliffe. This match was tied and for once Johnny was not required to bowl. (Baildon did eventually progress to the next round though I cannot find any details about this!) On May 27, Johnny took seven for 37 to enable Baildon to trounce promotion rivals East Bierley by 82 runs even though they themselves had been all out to N. Kitson’s bowling. The next week Johnny followed up his success taking four for 27 as Salts crashed to 74 all out and Baildon had another comfortable win. Johnny then played a supporting role taking three for 22 whilst Geoffrey Tyson took seven for 22 to beat Yeadon and also to beat the ensuing rain. Defeat came at the hands of fellow challengers Saltaire on June 15 despite three wickets from Johnny but his seven for 40 versus Eccleshill gave Baildon a narrow win of 22 runs after they had been bowled out on June 22. He then took seven for 25 against Keighley in a 40 run win. Even Johnny could not do this every week . He just took one wicket on July 5 as Keighley scraped home by two wickets. On July 19 Johnny wasn’t needed as a bowler as Baildon bowled out Saltaire to inflict Saltaire’s first defeat of the season. After three wickets had gone down in return Johnny stayed in with N.O. Robson (who might be known as ‘not out Robson’ ) to score a useful 22 not out and secure victory. He ended the month with 63 not out in an unfinished match at Undercliffe. Another spectacular performance with the ball came on August 10 with five for 18. After losing an inter-divisional match on August 17 and then drawing, it was at home to Queensbury on August 31 that Johnny scored 63 and took three for 28 to secure a win for his side and with it the second division championship. He followed this with 81 not out the following week at Great Horton. Leeds 1958-63 1958 Johnny’s time at Leeds started auspiciously as they beat York in the first match of the 1958 season with fast bowler Ian Hallas taking eight for 23 against former colleagues. York managed 41. Leeds had made 140 with captain Mike Crawford scoring 53 and Johnny was second-top scorer with 27. After rainwashedout the nextmatch versusDoncaster, a Rotherham Appendix Two: Some of Johnny Lawrence’s league career in more detail