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

65 love the game just as dearly and put much back into the game. Many of the Yorkshire cricketers came from coal-mining backgrounds, others from the woollen industry; others like Johnny were craftsmen who were to hone their craft to the sport they loved. In the 1930s Johnny remained a more than regular attender of the nets at Headingley. He continued to meet and to get to know well all their great players and his close friendships in particular with George Hirst and Herbert Sutcliffe and Emmott Robinson developed. He would have got to know well – with friendship and mutual respect – all the great Yorkshire players of the day – including Hedley Verity, Bill Bowes, Arthur Wood and Maurice Leyland. Johnny had great vision. He had vision for himself – he always wanted to be a better player. He would practise for hours bowling against a wall before he ever had the opportunity to do so in his own net. When he practised bowling and throwing he had taught A man of his times who became a role model for other players A man of all trades; Johnny Lawrence painting in his nets.