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

51 Miles did well in his first two seasons as an attractive batsman who provided alternative leg spin (rarely sought) to that of his friend. Somerset had a tendency to cast off the lesser professionals in August when amateur players who were school teachers or Oxbridge undergraduates or graduates became available for the last few weeks of the season. We note that this favouritism in a still unequal playing field contributed to the fading of his cricketing star. He left Somerset at the end of his third season there certainly with some disappointment and disillusion. David Foot sums up his contribution to Somerset. He brackets Coope with ‘that other little Yorkshireman, Lawrence’: “Coope despite an exquisite late cut and an adequate repertoire of shots that at times he showed a reluctance to parade, was the less talented of the two. He stayed for three seasons, leaving us with a memorable cameo or two. Lack of consistency was his undoing.” Miles returned to league cricket in Yorkshire and was at Salts certainly in 1954 and 1955 with centuries for them in each of those seasons. A close friendship develops Bingley in 1945 winning the Bradford League second division trophy; Johnny is crouching front right.