Harold Larwood

Harold Larwood

Featuring a profile of the great England and Nottinghamshire bowler, Testimonials, Statistics, Records, Interviews, Sir Donald Bradman and much more.

We hope you enjoy this tribute to the Nottinghamshire and England fast bowler, Harold Larwood.

Harold was born in Nuncargate, Nottinghamshire on the 14th November 1904. After a health scare when he was a little over 2 years old, his father made him his first cricket bat, purely to keep the youngster out of trouble! Little did his father know what he had started.

Even during his time as a pit boy, Harold would play cricket as often as he could, ‘cricket was my outlet’ he would say.

At the age of 17, I was promoted to the village’s first team. Bowling in sandshoes because I didn’t own a pair of boots, I sent down 20 overs during the match, even though I’d worked down the mine all the previous night.’

‘I remember the game as if it were last week. After a few overs my nose began to bleed. Team mates, men they were , urged me to leave the field. I refused and kept on bowling. Down the mine I dreamed of cricket; I bowled imaginery balls in the dark; I sent the stumps spinning and heard them rattling in the tunnels. No mishap was going to stop me from bowling in the real game, especially this one.’

‘My nose bled worse than ever, spattering my shirt. I was again advised to go off but I continued to bowl. Then a ball caught the middle stump. My next delivery scattered the incoming batsman’s wicket. Although feeling a bit weak by now I got ready for one more, and hit the off stump. It was my first hat-trick.’