Laurie Johnson (cricketer)
Encyclopedia
Hubert Laurence Johnson (born 8 November 1927) is a West Indies born cricket
er who played for Derbyshire
between 1949 and 1966. He scored over 14,000 runs for the club in the first-class game.
Johnson was born at Pine Hill, St Michael, Barbados
. He was educated at The Lodge School
, well-known as the cradle of cricket in Barbados, where he benefited from the coaching of Leslie Arthur "Bessie" Walcott
. Johnson was invited to the BCA trials in 1945 and in 1946 he was part of the Barbados team to Trinidad, but did not play. However, he scored centuries against Combermere, Spartan
and Wanderers
, and then migrated to England to train as a sugar industry engineer. He played for the Swarkestone Cricket Club, and appeared for Derbyshire in 2nd XI matches in 1947 and 1948. He made his first class debut against Gloucestershire
in June 1949 and made 23 and 6 in the match. He played regularly in the first and second Derbyshire teams in 1949 and 1950, but then returned to British Guiana
. He reappeared for Derbyshire in 1955 and was a first team regular for the next ten years. He built up his scoring rate to reach over 1400 runs in 1959 and then became a top scorer. In 1960 he hit his first centuries with 140 against Glamorgan
, 130 against Essex
, 113 against Lancashire
and 109 against Leicestershire
. In 1961 he scored 122 against Gloucestershire, 119 against Essex, 116 against Leicestershire and 112 against Hampshire
. In 1962 he made his top score of 154 against Leicestershire, and scored 108 against Somerset
and 114 against Sussex
. He scored five centuries in 1964 with 137 against Nottinghamshire
, 132 against Somerset, 101 against Warwickshire
, 101 not out against the Australians and 100 against Middlesex
. The run rate fell back in 1965 and 966 and he ended his career at the end of the 1966 season. For the last four years he played in the ListA Gillette Cup competition.
Johnson was a right-hand batsman and played 606 innings in 351 first class matches to make 14,286 runs. He scored 16 centuries with a top score of 154 and an average of 26.40. He was a right-arm off-break bowler and took 21 first class wickets with an average of 39.14 and a best performance of 3 for 12. He also stood in as wicket keeper for Bob Taylor
and took two wickets by stumping in 1964.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er who played for Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...
between 1949 and 1966. He scored over 14,000 runs for the club in the first-class game.
Johnson was born at Pine Hill, St Michael, Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. He was educated at The Lodge School
Lodge School (Barbados)
-Introduction:In 2010, The Lodge School celebrated its 265th anniversary as an institution of learning. This extended period has not been continuous, as the school closed and reopened four times during these two and a half centuries. The timescales chosen for this article have their benchmarks...
, well-known as the cradle of cricket in Barbados, where he benefited from the coaching of Leslie Arthur "Bessie" Walcott
Leslie Walcott
Leslie Arthur Walcott was a West Indian cricketer who played for Barbados between 1929 and 1936 and in one Test for the West Indies in 1930....
. Johnson was invited to the BCA trials in 1945 and in 1946 he was part of the Barbados team to Trinidad, but did not play. However, he scored centuries against Combermere, Spartan
Spartan Cricket Club
Spartan Cricket Club is a cricket club in Barbados. The club plays in the Barbados Cricket Association Division 1 championship.Spartan was formed in 1893 as a club for middle-class black and creole cricketers who were denied entry into all-white cricket clubs such as Wanderers and Pickwick...
and Wanderers
Wanderers Cricket Club
Wanderers Cricket Club is a Barbadian cricket club. The club plays in the Barbados Cricket Association Upper Intermediate Division, having been relegated from Division 1 in 2010....
, and then migrated to England to train as a sugar industry engineer. He played for the Swarkestone Cricket Club, and appeared for Derbyshire in 2nd XI matches in 1947 and 1948. He made his first class debut 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 June 1949 and made 23 and 6 in the match. He played regularly in the first and second Derbyshire teams in 1949 and 1950, but then returned to British Guiana
British Guiana
British Guiana was the name of the British colony on the northern coast of South America, now the independent nation of Guyana.The area was originally settled by the Dutch at the start of the 17th century as the colonies of Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice...
. He reappeared for Derbyshire in 1955 and was a first team regular for the next ten years. He built up his scoring rate to reach over 1400 runs in 1959 and then became a top scorer. In 1960 he hit his first centuries with 140 against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan 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 Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
, 130 against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex 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 Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
, 113 against Lancashire
Lancashire County Cricket Club
Lancashire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Lancashire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1864 as a successor to Manchester Cricket Club and has played at Old Trafford since then...
and 109 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 1961 he scored 122 against Gloucestershire, 119 against Essex, 116 against Leicestershire and 112 against Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
. In 1962 he made his top score of 154 against Leicestershire, and scored 108 against Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset 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 Somerset...
and 114 against Sussex
Sussex County Cricket Club
Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
. He scored five centuries in 1964 with 137 against 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...
, 132 against Somerset, 101 against Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire 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 Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
, 101 not out against the Australians and 100 against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex 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 Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
. The run rate fell back in 1965 and 966 and he ended his career at the end of the 1966 season. For the last four years he played in the ListA Gillette Cup competition.
Johnson was a right-hand batsman and played 606 innings in 351 first class matches to make 14,286 runs. He scored 16 centuries with a top score of 154 and an average of 26.40. He was a right-arm off-break bowler and took 21 first class wickets with an average of 39.14 and a best performance of 3 for 12. He also stood in as wicket keeper for Bob Taylor
Bob Taylor (cricketer)
Robert William Taylor , known as Bob Taylor, is a former English cricketer who played as wicket-keeper for Derbyshire between 1961 and 1984 and for England between 1971 and 1984. He made 57 Test, and 639 first class cricket appearances in total, taking 1,473 catches. The 2,069 victims across his...
and took two wickets by stumping in 1964.