Joseph Johnson (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Johnson was an English
first-class cricket
er, who played three matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club
between 1936 and 1939. He also played for the Yorkshire Second XI in 1938.
A slow left arm orthodox bowler, his career was stymied by the presence of Hedley Verity
in the Yorkshire side, and he found himself behind in the pecking order even when Verity was away on Test
duties. After two matches, against Gloucestershire
in 1936 and Nottinghamshire
in 1938, in which he was given little opportunity to bowl, he did have his day in a remarkable final appearance against Leicestershire
in 1939. After not bowling in the first innings at Aylestone Road, Leicester
, he took 5 wickets for 16 runs in 11.2 overs, to bowl the home team out for 103 and win the game for Yorkshire. He took two wickets with his last two balls in first class cricket. Despite a first-class bowling average of 5.40, the onset of World War II
ended any chance of him gaining further appearances.
He was less successful as a right-handed tail end batsman, scoring five runs in three innings, although two of these were not out. He also took one catch.
A useful opening batsman in League cricket, he never played again for Yorkshire, but he spent years as a professional with Clackmannan C.C., in Scotland
, and was with David Brown Tractors C.C. at Meltham
when they won the Yorkshire Council Championship in 1960. He was also their groundsman
. Johnson was also a professional footballer with Doncaster Rovers F.C.
and Southport F.C.
He was born in South Kirkby in Yorkshire
and latterly lived at Netherthong
near Holmfirth
.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
er, who played three matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
between 1936 and 1939. He also played for the Yorkshire Second XI in 1938.
A slow left arm orthodox bowler, his career was stymied by the presence of Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity
Hedley Verity was a professional cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and England between 1930 and 1939. A slow left arm orthodox bowler, he took 1,956 wickets in first-class cricket at an average of 14.90 and in 40 Tests he took 144 wickets at an average of 24.37...
in the Yorkshire side, and he found himself behind in the pecking order even when Verity was away on Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
duties. After two matches, against Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
in 1936 and Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
in 1938, in which he was given little opportunity to bowl, he did have his day in a remarkable final appearance against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
in 1939. After not bowling in the first innings at Aylestone Road, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, he took 5 wickets for 16 runs in 11.2 overs, to bowl the home team out for 103 and win the game for Yorkshire. He took two wickets with his last two balls in first class cricket. Despite a first-class bowling average of 5.40, the onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended any chance of him gaining further appearances.
He was less successful as a right-handed tail end batsman, scoring five runs in three innings, although two of these were not out. He also took one catch.
A useful opening batsman in League cricket, he never played again for Yorkshire, but he spent years as a professional with Clackmannan C.C., in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and was with David Brown Tractors C.C. at Meltham
Meltham
Meltham is a small town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It lies in the Holme Valley, below Wessenden Moor, four and a half miles south-west of Huddersfield on the edge of the Peak District National Park...
when they won the Yorkshire Council Championship in 1960. He was also their groundsman
Groundskeeping
Groundskeeping is the activity of tending an area of land for aesthetic or functional purposes; typically in an institutional setting. It includes mowing grass, trimming hedges, pulling weeds, planting flowers, etc. The U.S. Department of Labor estimated that more than 900,000 workers are employed...
. Johnson was also a professional footballer with Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
and Southport F.C.
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
He was born in South Kirkby in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and latterly lived at Netherthong
Netherthong
Netherthong is a small village near the town of Holmfirth. It lies in the Holme Valley in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. The village is on the B6107 road to Meltham from the main A6024 Woodhead Road through the Holme Valley from Honley to Holmfirth...
near Holmfirth
Holmfirth
Holmfirth is a small town located on the A6024 Woodhead Road in the Holme Valley, within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Centred upon the confluence of the Holme and Ribble rivers, Holmfirth is south of Huddersfield and from Glossop. It mostly consists of...
.