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Herbert Leslie Collins (21 January 1888 – 28 May 1959) was an Australian
cricketer Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
who played 19 Test matches between 1921 and 1926. An
all-rounder An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a handful of batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are consi ...
, he captained the Australian team in eleven Tests, winning five, losing two with another four finishing in draws. In a Test career delayed by
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
he scored 1,352 runs at an average of 45.06, including four
centuries A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A centennial or ...
. Collins was also a successful
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
footballer, winning the 1911 NSWRFL season's
grand final Primarily in Australian sports, a grand final (sometimes colloquially abbreviated to "grannie") is a game that decides a sports league's premiership (or championship) winning team, i.e. the conclusive game of a finals (or play-off) series. Sy ...
with the Eastern Suburbs club. Collins was a keen gambler, a pastime that became habitual during his time as a soldier in the
Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. After the war, he played with the
Australian Imperial Forces cricket team When the First World War ended in November 1918, thousands of Australian servicemen were in Europe as members of the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and many remained until the spring of 1919. In England, a new first-class cricket seas ...
(AIF XI) that toured England, South Africa and Australia and was later appointed captain of the team. He was not a stylish or forceful batsman, preferring to rely on nudges and deflections to score runs. His slow left arm off-spin, bowled from a two step run up, was seldom seen after the AIF XI tour. On return to Australia, he made his Test début against England at the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...
(SCG) scoring 104 in the second innings; the fifth Australian to score a
century A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A centennial or ...
on Test début. He was appointed captain of the Australian team in 1921 in South Africa, when the previous captain,
Warwick Armstrong Warwick Windridge Armstrong (22 May 1879 – 13 July 1947) was an Australian cricketer who played 50 Test matches between 1902 and 1921. An all-rounder, he captained Australia in ten Test matches between 1920 and 1921, and was undefeated, winn ...
, fell ill. His Test career finished in disappointment and in a cloud of suspicion when Australia lost the Fifth Test and
the Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, '' The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first ...
against England in 1926. While some former players and cricket administrators suspected a case of match fixing, no material evidence supporting this has emerged. After his retirement from cricket, Collins used his gambling knowledge to start a career in
horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...
, working as a
bookmaker A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays off bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds. History The first bookmaker, Ogden, stood at Newmarket in 1795. Range of events Bookma ...
and commission agent.


Early career

Collins was born in
Darlinghurst Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district (CBD) and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney. ...
, an inner suburb of
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, the son of Thomas, an accountant, and Emma (née Charlton). He attended Albion Street (Superior) Public School, where he showed an aptitude for cricket and
rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
. He played his early cricket with
Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Paddi ...
Cricket Club, bowling left arm spinners and batting well enough to be selected at 19 for the New South Wales cricket team (NSW).Pollard, p. 294–296. He made his
first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...
debut against
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
in 1909–1910 and was disappointing, scoring three and one and taking 1/35. He played one further match for the season, against
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
. For the next two seasons, his opportunities at first-class level were limited but he managed to play against the touring South African and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
sides. Collins also played first grade
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
at this time in the
New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership The New South Wales Rugby League premiership was the first rugby league football club competition established in Australia and contributor to today's National Rugby League. Run by the New South Wales Rugby League (initially named the New Sout ...
. He played at in
Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to: Places *Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India *Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia **Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia Sports clubs ;Association football *Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand * Eastern ...
' grand final win of the 1911 NSWRFL season alongside the great
Dally Messenger Herbert Henry Messenger, nicknamed "Dally" and sometimes "The Master" (12 April 1883 – 24 November 1959) was one of Australasia's first professional rugby footballers, recognised as one of the greatest-ever players in either code. He played f ...
. He is sometimes confused with, but was not, the Bert Collins who played in Brisbane for
Toombul Nundah (previously called German Station) is an inner suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It contains the neighbourhood of Toombul. In the , Nundah had a population of 12,141 people. Prior to European settlement, Nundah was i ...
's club, gaining selection for
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
in 1912. Collins's first full season for NSW was in 1912–1913, playing ten matches and scoring 598 runs at an average of 42.71. He finished the season with 282 against
Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...
at
Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
. During the 1913 Australian winter, Collins was part of an Australian team that toured North America, playing
Gentlemen of Philadelphia The Philadelphian cricket team was a team that represented Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in first-class cricket between 1878 and 1913. Even with the United States having played the first ever international cricket match against Canada in 1844, t ...
and a combined Canada–United States team.


First World War and Services XI

In 1915 Collins was one of 417,000 Australians who enlisted and was a member of the
First Australian Imperial Force The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 15 Aug ...
(AIF) as a reinforcement for the
Australian Light Horse Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both cavalry and mounted infantry, who served in the Second Boer War and World War I. During the inter-war years, a number of regiments were raised as part of Australia's part-t ...
. He served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and later on the Western Front, carting ammunition to the artillery shelling the German lines. At the end of the War, Collins was a
Lance Corporal Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organisations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO), usually equi ...
.Robinson, p. 148. Following the war he was included in an
Australian Imperial Forces cricket team When the First World War ended in November 1918, thousands of Australian servicemen were in Europe as members of the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and many remained until the spring of 1919. In England, a new first-class cricket seas ...
, touring England in 1919. Charles Kelleway, an
officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
, was the captain of the team for the first six matches. Despite Collins's rank Field Marshal Birdwood, the former commander of the
Australian Corps The Australian Corps was a World War I army corps that contained all five Australian infantry divisions serving on the Western Front. It was the largest corps fielded by the British Empire in France. At its peak the Australian Corps numbered 10 ...
, asked him to take over the captaincy for the remainder of the tour. Some of his colleagues were officers such as Jack Gregory and
Nip Pellew Clarence Everard "Nip" Pellew (21 September 1893 – 9 May 1981) was an Australian cricketer who played in 10 Test matches from 1920 to 1921. Pellew was also a leading Australian rules footballer who, due to permit problems, was only allowed ...
. Collins proved a capable and popular
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
with the team losing only four of twenty eight matches during the tour. He scored 1,615 runs including five centuries at an average of 38.45 and took 106 wickets at 16.55 apiece. On their way home the AIF team played ten matches in South Africa, eight of them first-class, remaining undefeated in this section of the tour. While Jack Gregory relished the conditions, the local newspapers acclaimed Collins as the finest player in the touring team.Pollard, pp. 932–933. Collins scored 602 runs in South Africa at an average of 50.58 and took 39 wickets at 16.53. In a match at the
Old Wanderers Old Wanderers was a cricket ground in Johannesburg, South Africa. The ground hosted 22 Test matches from 1895 to 1939, before being rebuilt as Johannesburg's Park Station in 1946. It has since been replaced by the New Wanderers Stadium. Histor ...
ground in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
against the South African XI, Collins scored 235 from a total of 441 in the first innings as the AIF XI won by 8 wickets. On arrival back in Australia, the AIF team played three first-class matches, defeating the reigning
Sheffield Shield The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Shi ...
champions New South Wales and perennial Shield powerhouse Victoria. A likely victory against
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
was frustrated due to torrential rain. The results in Australia demonstrated the strength of the AIF team and within a few months of the team's dissolution, Collins would make his Test début, along with his AIF team-mates, Gregory,
wicket-keeper The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being watchful of the batsman and ready to take a catch, stump the batsman out and run out a batsman when occasion arises. Th ...
Bert Oldfield and the batsmen
Johnny Taylor John Taylor, Johnny Taylor or similar may refer to: Academics *John Taylor (Oxford), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1486–1487 * John Taylor (classical scholar) (1704–1766), English classical scholar *John Taylor (English publisher) (17 ...
and
Nip Pellew Clarence Everard "Nip" Pellew (21 September 1893 – 9 May 1981) was an Australian cricketer who played in 10 Test matches from 1920 to 1921. Pellew was also a leading Australian rules footballer who, due to permit problems, was only allowed ...
.


Test career


Début

Test cricket returned from its hiatus in 1920 with the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
touring Australia. Collins, also a selector, was one of six AIF XI players to make his début in the First Test of that series. The First Test was played on Collins's home ground, the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...
and Collins had reason to feel at home, scoring 70 and 104. Collins was only the fifth Australian to make a
century A century is a period of 100 years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages. The word ''century'' comes from the Latin ''centum'', meaning ''one hundred''. ''Century'' is sometimes abbreviated as c. A centennial or ...
on Test début. Collins scored another century in the Third Test at the
Adelaide Oval Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby le ...
, batting 258 minutes for 162, helping Australia to a 119 run victory. Over the 1920–1921 series, Collins made 557 runs at an average of 61.88. The Australians toured England in 1921, the first representative tour since the disastrous
1912 Triangular Tournament The 1912 Triangular Tournament was a Test cricket competition played between Australia, England and South Africa, the only Test-playing nations at the time. The ultimate winners of the tournament were England, with four wins in their six matches ...
. Collins was included in the squad that would win the series comprehensively, three Tests to nil. In the First Test at
Trent Bridge Trent Bridge Cricket Ground is a cricket ground mostly used for Test, One-Day International and county cricket located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, just across the River Trent from the city of Nottingham. Trent Bridge is also ...
, Collins broke his thumb, ruling him out of the next two internationals. He returned to the team for the Fourth Test, after Australia had already wrapped up the series. England had fought back well and Australia were forced to defend grimly. Batting for over four and a half hours with what ''Wisden'' described as "inexhaustible patience", Collins scored 40 runs in Australia's only innings to force a draw. Collins scored 1,222 runs in all matches on tour at an average of 33.94.


Captain

On the return trip to Australia, the Australian team stopped in South Africa for a short tour. Due to illness, captain
Warwick Armstrong Warwick Windridge Armstrong (22 May 1879 – 13 July 1947) was an Australian cricketer who played 50 Test matches between 1902 and 1921. An all-rounder, he captained Australia in ten Test matches between 1920 and 1921, and was undefeated, winn ...
was unable to take part in any of the matches and as a result Collins was appointed captain in his place. The first two Tests were drawn but Australia won the third Test and the series at
Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...
. In the second Test of the series, Collins scored a remarkable double century (203) on the matting pitch at the
Old Wanderers Old Wanderers was a cricket ground in Johannesburg, South Africa. The ground hosted 22 Test matches from 1895 to 1939, before being rebuilt as Johannesburg's Park Station in 1946. It has since been replaced by the New Wanderers Stadium. Histor ...
ground in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
, unearthing a range of shots he had rarely used. With Gregory, who scored 119, the pair put on a partnership of 209 in 85 minutes, destroying the South African bowling. In six matches played, Collins scored 548 runs, including two centuries at an average of 60.88. The next international visitors to Australia were the English team of 1924–1925, under the captaincy of Arthur Gilligan. In the First Test at Sydney, Collins opened the batting and scored 114. Batting with a young Victorian in his début Test,
Bill Ponsford William Harold Ponsford MBE (19 October 1900 – 6 April 1991) was an Australian cricketer. Usually playing as an opening batsman, he formed a successful and long-lived partnership opening the batting for Victoria and Australia with Bill ...
, Collins was confident enough to shelter him from the brilliant
swing bowling Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling. The aim of swing bowling is to cause the ball to move in the ai ...
of
Maurice Tate Maurice William Tate (30 May 1895 – 18 May 1956) was an English cricketer of the 1920s and 1930s and the leader of England's Test bowling attack for a long time during this period. He was also the first Sussex cricketer to take a wicket with ...
. Ponsford went on to make a century (110) on début.Robinson, p. 151. Ponsford later said "I was most grateful for Herbie taking ate's bowlinguntil I was settled in. I doubt I would have scored a century but for his selfless approach." In the Second Test at Melbourne, chasing 600, the English pair of
Jack Hobbs Sir John Berry Hobbs (16 December 1882– 21 December 1963), always known as Jack Hobbs, was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches between 1908 and 1930. Known as "The Mast ...
and
Herbert Sutcliffe Herbert Sutcliffe (24 November 1894 – 22 January 1978) was an English professional cricketer who represented Yorkshire and England as an opening batsman. Apart from one match in 1945, his first-class career spanned the period between the tw ...
batted throughout the third day for an unbroken partnership of 283. Before play commenced the next day, Collins said to his profligate
leg spin Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in cricket. A leg spinner bowls right-arm with a wrist spin action. The leg spinner's normal delivery causes the ball to spin from right to left (from the bowler's perspective) when the ball bounces on the ...
ner, "You're going straight on to get Hobbs if we're to have a chance". The first ball of the day, Mailey bowled a
full toss A full toss is a type of delivery in the sport of cricket. It describes any delivery that reaches the batsman without bouncing on the pitch first. A full toss which reaches the batsman above the waist is called a beamer. This is not a valid d ...
. Collins moved the field, leaving a gap in the offside field. The next ball was another full toss and Hobbs, looking to hit it into the gap, missed it all ends up and was bowled for 154. The Adelaide Test was a thriller with England needing 27 runs to win the Test with two wickets in hand. Collins, ever the gambler, threw the ball once again to Mailey, who was not known for his accuracy or containment. The gamble paid off with Mailey dismissing
Tich Freeman Alfred Percy "Tich" Freeman (17 May 1888 – 28 January 1965) was an English first-class cricketer. A leg spin bowler for Kent County Cricket Club and England, he is the only man to take 300 wickets in an English season, and is the second most p ...
and Gregory removing Gilligan at the other end to win the Test by eleven runs and secure The Ashes. Australia won the series four Tests to one. During the Adelaide Test, Collins was approached by a "well known racing identity" who offered him £100 to throw the match. Collins rejected the approach and suggested to teammate
Arthur Mailey Alfred Arthur Mailey (3 January 188631 December 1967) was an Australian cricketer who played in 21 Test matches between 1920 and 1926. Mailey used leg-breaks and googly bowling, taking 99 Test wickets, including 36 in the 1920–21 Ashes ser ...
that they throw the visitor down the stairs.


Controversy and retirement

The 1926 tour of England would be Collins's last. Partly as a result of a wet English summer, the first four Tests of the five-Test series ended in draws. Collins had a disappointing tour, suffering from
neuritis Neuritis () is inflammation of a nerve or the general inflammation of the peripheral nervous system. Inflammation, and frequently concomitant demyelination, cause impaired transmission of neural signals and leads to aberrant nerve function. Neuri ...
and in constant pain from arthritis. He missed the Third and Fourth Tests when admitted to hospital but recovered to resume his place as captain for the Fifth Test. The Fifth Test, played at
the Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...
, saw England win the toss and bat. They compiled 280, Mailey taking five wickets. Australia responded with 302, dismissed late on the second day. At
stumps In cricket, the stumps are the three vertical posts that support the bails and form the wicket. '' Stumping'' or ''being stumped'' is a method of dismissing a batsman. The umpire ''calling stumps'' means the play is over for the day. Part of ...
, England – in their second innings – were 0/49. A violent
thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are someti ...
inundated the ground overnight, rendering the pitch
sticky Sticky may refer to: People *Sticky (musician), alias of UK garage producer Richard Forbes * Sticky Fingaz or Sticky (born 1973), nickname of the US rapper and actor Kirk Jones Adhesion *Adhesion Adhesion is the tendency of dissimilar ...
. Collins attracted a great deal of negative attention by using the inexperienced Arthur Richardson as a main strike bowler at the expense of the likes of Mailey and
Clarrie Grimmett Clarence Victor "Clarrie" Grimmett (25 December 1891 – 2 May 1980) was a New Zealand-born Australian cricketer. He is thought by many to be one of the finest early spin bowlers, and usually credited as the developer of the flipper. Early l ...
.Perry, pp. 126–131. The English openers, Hobbs and Sutcliffe, took advantage of this by compiling a 172-run opening partnership. England were bowled out in their second innings for 436, 415 runs ahead. Australia were dismissed for 125, losing the match by 289 runs. The Test was to be Collins's last. Such was the disappointment at losing the Ashes, Collins was stripped not only of the
New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...
captaincy but also that of his local club,
Waverley Waverley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Waverley'' (novel), by Sir Walter Scott ** ''Waverley'' Overture, a work by Hector Berlioz inspired by Scott's novel * Waverley Harrison, a character in the New Zealand soap opera ''Shortland Stree ...
. Former players, including his former Waverley captain, the influential
Monty Noble Montague Alfred Noble (28 January 1873 – 22 June 1940) was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-hand batsman, right-handed bowler who could deliver both medium pace and off-break bowling, capable field ...
, publicly criticised Collins' captaincy.
Hunter Hendry Hunter Scott Thomas Laurie Hendry (24 May 1895 – 16 December 1988) was a cricketer who played for New South Wales, Victoria and Australia. Nicknamed "Stork", Hendry was a formidable batsman to whom bowlers found difficulty in delivering. He ...
, viewing the match from the stands, suspected Collins threw the match. Despite his reputation as a gambler, there is no material evidence that Collins ever fixed the result of any cricket match.


Rugby league career

In the 1911
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
off season Collins played
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
for Sydney's
Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to: Places *Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India *Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia **Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia Sports clubs ;Association football *Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand * Eastern ...
club. A , Collins played alongside rugby league "immortal",
Dally Messenger Herbert Henry Messenger, nicknamed "Dally" and sometimes "The Master" (12 April 1883 – 24 November 1959) was one of Australasia's first professional rugby footballers, recognised as one of the greatest-ever players in either code. He played f ...
when the Eastern Suburbs club won its first ever premiership.Whiticker, p. 95. He is sometimes confused with, but was not, the Bert Collins who played in Brisbane for
Toombul Nundah (previously called German Station) is an inner suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It contains the neighbourhood of Toombul. In the , Nundah had a population of 12,141 people. Prior to European settlement, Nundah was i ...
's club and represented Queensland on three occasions.


Outside cricket

Collins was an enthusiastic gambler, renowned by his teammates for finding any reason to bet. Mailey stated that Collins's haunts "were the racetrack, the dog track, a baccarat joint at Kings Cross, a
two-up Two-up is a traditional Australian gambling game, involving a designated "spinner" throwing two coins or pennies into the air. Players bet on whether the coins will fall with both heads (obverse) up, both tails (reverse) up, or with one coin ...
school in the Flanders trenches and anywhere a quiet game of poker was being played." His New South Wales teammate Hal Hooker remarked of Collins:
He would bet on anything—perhaps he was the original of the saying about flies crawling up the window. Waiting on a railway line he would bet on how many trains would pass through the opposite platform. how may carriages would be on the next one, how many carriage windows would be open. In a train he would produce a brass top stamped Put and Take—he paid or collected according to which way it fell when it stopped spinning.
Collins was known for all night poker sessions before going out to open the batting but refused to play against his fellow cricketers, seeing no challenge in taking money from novices. His gambling attracted some criticism and Collins was seen by many, including some cricket administrators, as an inveterate gambler. He turned his interest in gambling into a career, taking out a
bookmaker A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays off bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds. History The first bookmaker, Ogden, stood at Newmarket in 1795. Range of events Bookma ...
s' licence for a period and he served as a steward at
pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...
races in Sydney. Neither role appealed to him as much as acting as a commission agent for other bookmakers. Collins would "lay-off" for bookmakers over committed on certain horses, placing large bets carefully and with cool calculation. He won and lost two fortunes on the track and at one stage required the assistance of the New South Wales Cricketers Fund to support him and his invalid mother. He re-enlisted in the
Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, stationed at Victoria Barracks with the rank of
sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
. In 1940, Collins, then aged 51, married 24-year-old Marjorie Paine, the daughter of a race steward. The marriage produced a son before ending in divorce eleven years later; a petition served by Collins was not defended by his wife. After his divorce, Collins continued to frequent gambling clubs at Kings Cross, participating in all-night poker sessions. Despite giving up smoking late in life, his lungs failed him and he died of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
in 1959, aged 70.


Playing style and personality

Collins was short, no more than and slight. As a batsman, he was not an extravagant strokeplayer, preferring to avoid risk and leave balls on a good
length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Interna ...
where possible.Robinson, pp. 149–150. He batted with very little backlift and at first inspection could seem strokeless, scoring only from pushes and prods, nudges and dabs. His patience was renowned with the contemporary cricket writer Ray Robinson remarking " ollinshad an implacable trench warfare style that in difficult times earned admiration from his own side, put bowlers on the road to exasperation and sent onlookers through the doors of bars." His one bold shot was an over-the-shoulder
hook shot In basketball, a hook shot is a play in which the offensive player, usually turned perpendicular to the basket, gently throws the ball with a sweeping motion of the arm farther from the basket in an upward arc with a follow-through which ends ov ...
, finishing standing on his right foot, his left foot six inches in the air. Deficient in driving power, bowlers learnt to lessen his scoring power by pitching the ball well up. He often batted without the protection of
gloves A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves usually have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb. If there is an opening but no (or a short) covering sheath for each finger they are called fingerless gloves. Fingerless glo ...
, especially on easy pitches. Collins bowled his
slow left arm Left-arm orthodox spin, Left-arm off spin also known as slow left-arm orthodox spin bowling, is a type of left-arm finger spin bowling in the sport of cricket. Left-arm orthodox spin is bowled by a left-arm bowler using the fingers to spin ...
spinners off two steps, with seemingly little effort. In South Africa while bowling, a batsman was heard to yell "Collins is getting weary, Why don't you carry him to the wicket?"Robinson, p. 147. After his efforts for the AIF team he seldom bowled long spells again. Popular with his men, Collins was respected for his faith in his teammates and his ability to relate to different personalities. The Test leg-spinner, Arthur Mailey noted, "I learnt more of the psychology of cricket from Collins from all the hundreds of cricketers I met."Robinson, p. 152. Bert Oldfield said of Collins, "He studied every player's temperament and acted accordingly." Collins was undemonstrative, expecting his fieldsmen to look at him every after every delivery and adjust their position in response to his slight hand movements or even a bent finger. He was last to shower at the end of a day's play, preferring to sit in a corner in silence. His teammates assumed that he was contemplating the day's action and pondering on the next day's possibilities. He was a successful Test captain, leading Australia to five wins and two losses; four matches finished in draws. Many
nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
s attached themselves to Collins, including "Lucky" and "Horseshoe" as a result of his reputation for fortune, especially when it came to tossing the coin. His players called him "Maudy" (probably because of his
left-handedness In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subject ...
) and "Nutty"; it is unclear if this was because he used his "nut" (head) or was a hard nut to crack. Mailey nicknamed him "The squirrel", claiming that Collins eyes glowed at night, enabling him to see better at night than by day. Collins has a bohemian character who enjoyed all night
poker Poker is a family of comparing card games in which players wager over which hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, however in some places the rules may vary. While the earliest known form of the game w ...
and
baccarat Baccarat or baccara (; ) is a card game played at casinos. It is a comparing card game played between two hands, the "player" and the "banker". Each baccarat coup (round of play) has three possible outcomes: "player" (player has the higher score ...
sessions and evenings at the opera. "Poker Face", indeed, was another of his nicknames. He had a light
tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...
voice himself and would sometimes sing at parties. While in the army, Collins became a
chain smoker Chain smoking is the practice of smoking several cigarettes in succession, sometimes using the ember of a finished cigarette to light the next. The term chain smoker often also refers to a person who smokes relatively constantly, though not nece ...
but he remained a
teetotaller Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or is ...
, save for an occasional glass of celebratory champagne.


Notes


References

* * Harte, Chris (2003), ''The Penguin History of Australian Cricket''. Melbourne. Penguin. . * ''200 Seasons Of Australian Cricket''.Sydney. Ironbark. * Perry, Roland (2000). ''Captain Australia: A History of the Celebrated Captains of Australian Test Cricket''. Sydney. Random House. . * * * Whiticker, Alan, Hudson, Glen (2007). ''The Encyclopedia Of Rugby League Players''. (6th ed.) NSW.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Herbie 1888 births Australia Test cricketers Australia Test cricket captains New South Wales cricketers Sydney Roosters players Australian rugby league players Queensland rugby league team players Australian bookmakers 1959 deaths Wisden Leading Cricketers in the World Footballers who switched code Cricketers who made a century on Test debut Australian cricketers Cricketers from Sydney Australian Imperial Force Touring XI cricketers Rugby league players from Sydney Australian military personnel of World War I Australian Army soldiers