Hardy was born in Ilkeston, Derbyshire and was a coal miner when living with his widowed mother in Ilkeston in 1881.[1]
Hardy represented Derbyshire in one game during the 1898 season when he kept wicket against Essex. Derbyshire lost the match by a very large margin as the Essex batsmen notched up two centuries and two scores in the 90s before Hardy ended two of their innings with catches behind the stumps. Hardy, a right-handed batsman, put on ten runs for the team.[2]