Joe Hardstaff (Air Commodore)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Hardstaff, MBE
(born 28 February 1935) is a retired Air Commodore
and an English
cricketer
.
Joe Hardstaff was born in Kirkby-in-Ashfield
, Nottinghamshire
and is the third member in successive generations to represent his family in first-class cricket
. His grandfather Joe Hardstaff Sr. and his father Joe Hardstaff Jr. both represented England and Nottinghamshire
. His grandfather also stood as a first-class cricket umpire.
Joe was commissioned into the Royal Air Force
and rose to the rank of Air Commodore
. He played cricket for the Free Foresters in two first-class matches (1961-1962). He also captained the R.A.F.
and Combined Services, as well as representing the Marylebone Cricket Club
, as a right-handed batsman and as a right-arm medium fast bowler. He has served as President of the RAF and Combined Services cricket clubs.
He succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Packham
as Secretary
of Middlesex County Cricket Club
in 1989 and he retired in 1997.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 28 February 1935) is a retired Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cricketer
Cricketer
A cricketer is a person who plays the sport of cricket. Official and long-established cricket publications prefer the traditional word "cricketer" over the rarely used term "cricket player"....
.
Joe Hardstaff was born in Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Kirkby-in-Ashfield
Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a market town in Nottinghamshire, England, with a population of 25,265 . It is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area. The Head Offices of Ashfield District Council are located there....
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
and is the third member in successive generations to represent his family in first-class cricket
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...
. His grandfather Joe Hardstaff Sr. and his father Joe Hardstaff Jr. both represented England 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...
. His grandfather also stood as a first-class cricket umpire.
Joe was commissioned into the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and rose to the rank of Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
. He played cricket for the Free Foresters in two first-class matches (1961-1962). He also captained the R.A.F.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and Combined Services, as well as representing the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
, as a right-handed batsman and as a right-arm medium fast bowler. He has served as President of the RAF and Combined Services cricket clubs.
He succeeded Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Packham
Peter Packham
Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Packham is a retired British army officer who also served as Secretary of Middlesex County Cricket Club.He retired from the British army in 1985 and succeeded Tim Lamb as Secretary of Middlesex County Cricket Club in 1988. During his tenure of office, Middlesex won the...
as Secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
of Middlesex County Cricket Club
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...
in 1989 and he retired in 1997.