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

230 Linthwaite on July 22. Honley 1971-73 1971 Johnny found form on the Saturday preceding Whit Monday but his six for 46 at home to Slaithwaite was not enough to prevent defeat. However on both Whit Monday and Tuesday he helped his side to victories. Seven for 43 were the best figures in all the league at home to Thongsbridge on the Monday and five for 43 in the return match at Thongsbridge the next day helped Honley do the double. Five for 22 against Primrose Hill after scoring 40 led to another win on the following Saturday and completed quite a week for Johnny Lawrence. Of Johnny’s performance of July 10, the Huddersfield Weekly Examiner states: “Johnny had figures of six for 45 (and son Miles had four victims behind the stumps!), as Shepley were dismissed for exactly 100 and Honley knocked off the runs for the loss of five wickets to retain second position five points behind the leaders.” On July 17, Honley went one better at home to Linthwaite reducing the point gap to two. This time Johnny scored 49 alongside I. Waddington’s 61 taking Honley from 87 for seven to a final total of 199 for eight. The newspaper commented about the match of July 17 that the Linthwaite top score of 21 had come from another veteran, Eric Jebson who was making a comeback to help out his old club. Honley then slumped slightly to third in the table but came back to gain a winning draw over Primrose Hill on August 21 with Johnny taking five for 29. Now on Saturday August 28, Honley went top of the table. Johnny Lawrence had five for 19 as Lockwood were put out for 82 and though they were eight for three at one stage, Honley eventually gained a comfortable six-wicket success with plenty of overs to spare. Five for 39 versus Bradley Mills helped them stay top the following week but Honley were pipped at the post the following weekwhen despiteMiles’s 73 at Armitage Bridge, Honley only gained one point for a losing draw and Hall Bower won the championship by virtue of their superior scoring rate over the season. 1972 In 1972 Johnny first distinguishes himself with six for 42 on May 6 at home to Elland and then the next week in a Sykes Cup tie at home to Rastrick he takes six for 22 in another win. On Saturday, May 27 Johnny stars again with the ball as he takes six for 29 in a win at home to Lascelles Hall but then he doesn’t get Appendix Two: Some of Johnny Lawrence’s league career in more detail