Cricket

[Hey Arnold 88]

@mary1947 You're absolutely correct, cricketers were classed as either gentlemen or players. There were even separate entrances to grounds and changing rooms. Larwood's captain at Notts, a gentleman named Arthur Carr, made many enemies within the games administration because he used to mix socially with the players

[Oztalgian 3,293]

It was often said that if England needed a new fast bowler all they had to do was whistle down one of the pit shafts in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire or Derbyshire and one would come up from the mine.

[Hey Arnold 88]

Harold Larwood signed for Notts for the same weekly wage as he earned down the pit. When his father, on their long walk home, berated him saying he should have asked for more Harold replied he wasn't bothered, he just wanted to get out of the mines

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

@ Oz......I recall a one day international where the Oz bowler started short bowling Freddie Trueman, he was dodging every ball, some pretty dangerously just missing Freddies head. At the end of the over, Fred stopped the bowler mid wicket as they were changing over, and said to him, ""EEE lad, aren't you first in when we lose our last wicket?? Well I'm first bowler on and I'll remember thee"  The short bowlings ended at that point. I used to love hearing Freddie on about cricket, he was quite a comedian and loved the sport.

[philmayfield 6,134]

An old friend of ours, Laurie Johnson, who used to play cricket for Derbyshire, told us the one where the fast bowler asked the umpire to throw his marker and he’d bowl from there. The umpire gave it a hefty throw. The bowler eyed up distance and said ‘nay lad, I don’t go that bloody far on me ‘olidays!’