John Charles Hill (25 June 1923 – 11 August 1974) was an Australian
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 str ...
er who played in three
Test matches from 1953 to 1955.
Education
The son of a Stipendiary Magistrate, Mr. Alec Hill, S.M., Hill received his secondary education at
St Patrick's College, Ballarat.
War service
He moved to Melbourne in 1941 and took up a position under the Naval Board; and he went on to see active service in the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
from 1942 to 1946.
Football
A star half-forward with St Patrick's College, he trained with
Richmond Football Club in the 1943 pre-season, and was placed on their supplementary list at the start of the 1943 season.
He played intermittently for Richmond's Second Eighteen; and, in 1946, he was released by Richmond to the
Belgrave Football Club in the Mountain District Football Association.
In 1949, in a semi-finals match on 17 September 1949, in which he kicked nine goals for Belgrave, he was knocked out during the match. He thought nothing of the injury and, thinking it was just concussion, he sought no additional medical treatment. On 4 October, he collapsed at work, and was hospitalised. At the hospital, it was discovered that he had fractured his skull (the second time that he had fractured his skull in his football career). He immediately retired from football, having set the goal-kicking record of 152 goals in a single season.
He was not fit enough to resume cricket until 29 October 1949; and the consequences of this severe head injury were such that he suffered from severe headaches from time to time for the rest of his life; and, very often, he had to take special headache powders in order for him to be able to play cricket.
Cricket
He was already an outstanding schoolboy cricketer whilst at St Patrick's College, where he took 118 wickets in four years, at a time when the college's team only played four matches a year. At 15 years of age he was selected to play in the
Ballarat Cricket Association's (senior) team that competed in the Provincial Group of the March 1939 Country Week Carnival in Melbourne. He played at least one of these matches at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground.
He played
District Cricket for the
Melbourne Cricket Club
The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is a sports club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is one of the oldest sports clubs in Australia.
The MCC is responsible for management and development of the Melbourne Cricket Ground, ...
from the beginning of the 1941/1942 season. In his first match for Melbourne, playing against the Essendon Cricket Club, he put on an exceptional performance after the break for tea:
During the time he was in the R.A.A.F. he was stationed near Sydney and, whilst there, he played intermittently with the
Mosman Cricket Club. In 1945 he transferred to the
St Kilda Cricket Club
St Kilda Cricket Club is a cricket club playing in Victorian Premier Cricket, the elite club cricket competition in Melbourne, Australia.The club's home ground is the St Kilda Cricket Ground, more commonly known as Junction Oval.
History
The ...
.
Reporting on his October 1945 debut for St Kilda, following his 1945 transfer from Melbourne, ''The Argus'' commented:
State Cricket
He played in 69
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 ...
cricket matches for
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 ...
, from 1946 to 1956, scoring 867 runs, and taking 218 wickets. He took a wicket, bowling the South Australian batsman
Tom Klose with the first ball he ever bowled for Victoria.
He was also famous for ''not'' scoring what might have been the easiest runs ever scored in a Sheffield Shield Cricket in the first innings of Victoria's match against New South Wales, at the St Kilda Cricket Ground on Saturday, 24 December 1955:
Test Cricket
Selection
To the relief of the many who had come to refer to the continuously overlooked Hill as "Australia's forgotten cricketer", the Australian selectors announced in February 1953, that they had selected him for the team to tour England for the 1953 "Coronation" Ashes series.
Although cricket writer Tom Goodman thought that Hill's selection was "a surprise" and "a gamble", former Australian champion spin-bowler
Bill "Tiger" O'Reilly, commended the Australian selectors for "
heireffort to tighten up the distressing state of our spin attack" and expressed his view that "if Hill can adapt himself to the English conditions he will be a certain choice for the Test attack on tour".
At the time of his 1953 Test selection, a newspaper described his action as follows:
In its October 1974 obituary, ''The Cricketer'' described his action, which can be seen a
and also a
as follows:
Tasmania
On the way to England, Hill played with an Australian XI against a Tasmanian team, in Hobart, in March 1953. On the first day, the Australian XI were 9/505 at stumps. By the end of the second day the Tasmanian team were 2/21 in their second innings, having been forced to follow on after being all out for 202. Hill bowled eleven overs, had three maidens and took none for 24. The Tasmanian team went on to score 234 in its second innings; Hill taking 2 for 28 off 11 overs (with three maidens).
The team squad then travelled to Launceston, and played a match against a combined Northern Tasmanian side. The Australian XI, made up of
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and the Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by ''Wisden'' as, "... a mas ...
(captain),
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris (19 January 1922 – 22 August 2015) was an Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for ...
(vice captain),
Ron Archer
Ronald Graham Archer (25 October 1933 – 27 May 2007) was an Australian Test cricketer. He was born in the inner Brisbane suburb of Highgate Hill, was educated at Brisbane's Anglican Church Grammar School and played in 19 Tests from 1953 to ...
,
Richie Benaud
Richard Benaud (; 6 October 1930 – 10 April 2015) was an Australian cricketer who, after his retirement from international cricket in 1964, became a highly regarded commentator on the game.
Benaud was a Test cricket all-rounder, blending l ...
,
Alan Davidson,
Jim de Courcy, Jack Hill,
Graeme Hole
Graeme Blake Hole (6 January 1931 – 14 February 1990) was an Australian cricketer who played 18 Test matches between 1951 and 1955.
Career
A right-handed middle-order batsman and off-spinner, Hole played 98 first-class matches between 1949 ...
,
Bill Johnston Bill or Billy Johnston may refer to:
* Bill Johnston (cricketer) (1922–2007), Australian cricketer
* Bill Johnston (golfer) (1925–2021), American golfer and golf course architect
* Bill Johnston (tennis)
William Marquitz "Little Bill" John ...
,
Gil Langley
Gilbert Roche Andrews Langley (14 September 1919 – 14 May 2001) was an Australian Test cricketer, champion Australian rules footballer and member of parliament, serving as Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1977 to 197 ...
, (cricketer), and
Colin McDonald. Hill had been selected as twelfth man; however, he replaced
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall (3 October 1921 – 23 June 1996) was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league ...
in the team, who was indisposed from having a tooth extracted the day before. The remainder of the squad were used to strengthen the opposition, and
Ian Craig,
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller (28 November 1919 – 11 October 2004) was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. His ability, irreverent m ...
,
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey (born 8 October 1928) is an Australian former cricketer who was a member of the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement. ...
,
Doug Ring
Douglas Thomas Ring (14 October 1918 – 23 June 2003) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and for Australia in 13 Test matches between 1948 and 1953. In 129 first-class cricket matches, he took 426 wickets bowling leg spin, a ...
and
Don Tallon
Donald Tallon (17 February 1916 – 7 September 1984) was an Australian cricketer who played 21 Test matches as a wicket-keeper between 1946 and 1953. He was widely regarded by his contemporaries as Australia's finest ever wicket-keeper and ...
all played for the combined Northern Tasmanian side. At the end of the first day's play, the Combined side were all out for 262 (hill's figures were 0/27), and the Australian XI were 93 without loss. At the end of the second day, the Australian XI had scored 469 (Hill scored 20) and the combined team were 2/19 in its second innings (Hill did not bowl on the second day). On the last day, the combined team scored a total of 245 in its second innings (with Hill taking 3/58) and the Australian XI, scoring 41 without loss, won the match.
England
In 1953, the entire tour of England involved 34 matches in all: five
Test cricket matches, and an additional 29 matches that were played before, during, and after the Test series. Of the Five Tests, he played two for
Australia against England during the
1953 Ashes Series.
His first Test match appearance was in the rain affected
First Test
''First Test'', is a fantasy novel by Tamora Pierce, the first book in the series ''Protector of the Small''. It details the first year of Keladry of Mindelan's training as a page of Tortall.
Plot introduction
''Protector of the Small'' is set ...
from 11 to 16 June 1953 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 ...
(both he and
Alan Davidson made their Australian Test debut in the same match). In a drawn match, he scored a duck and four runs; and took 3/35 and 1/26.
His second Test match appearance was the
Third Test
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* H ...
, from 9–14 July 1953 at
Old Trafford. In a drawn match, he scored 8 runs (n.o.) and a duck, and took 3/97 in England's only innings.
He was twelfth man for the
Fourth Test at
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingley ...
). The first four matches of the series were drawn; and the last match of the series (for which Hill was not selected) was won by the M.C.C. by eight wickets. Of the 29 additional matches that the squad contested during the tour, he played in 20 of them.
West Indies
In 1955, the entire
tour of the West Indies involved 12 matches in all: five Test cricket matches, and an additional 7 matches that were played before and during the Test series; one of the additional matches, a two-day match between an Australian XI and, G.A. Headley's XI, a team selected by the eminent West Indian cricketer
G. A. Headley, that was scheduled to take place on 6 and 7 June 1955, at
Jarrett Park, in
Montego Bay, was abandoned when play could not commence on either day due to heavy rain.
He played a single Test match for Australia against the West Indies:
the drawn Fourth Test match, at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown from 14 to 20 May 1955, in which he scored 8 runs (n.o.) and 1 run, and took 0/71 and 1/44. Of the 6 additional matches that the squad contested, he played in 5 of them.
End of Test career
After the West Indies, Hill was never considered for Test selection again; the general view was that he had been tried and found wanting at Test level.
In his three match Test career he had taken 8 wickets —
Trevor Bailey
Trevor Edward Bailey (3 December 1923 – 10 February 2011) was an England Test cricketer, cricket writer and broadcaster.
An all-rounder, Bailey was known for his skilful but unspectacular batting. As the BBC reflected in his obituary: "Hi ...
(twice),
Don Kenyon (twice),
Peter May,
Tom Graveney
Thomas William Graveney (16 June 1927 – 3 November 2015) was an English first-class cricketer, representing his country in 79 Test matches and scoring over 4,800 runs. In a career lasting from 1948 to 1972, he became the 15th player to scor ...
,
Bill Edrich, and the West Indian
John Holt — had taken two catches, and had scored 21 runs.
District Cricket
In 1956, whilst still in the Victorian State Squad, he was associated with a move by
Lindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and the Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by ''Wisden'' as, "... a mas ...
to open up a Cricket coaching school, the ''Lindsay Hassett School of Cricket'', and was expected, along with
Doug Ring
Douglas Thomas Ring (14 October 1918 – 23 June 2003) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and for Australia in 13 Test matches between 1948 and 1953. In 129 first-class cricket matches, he took 426 wickets bowling leg spin, a ...
,
Ernie McCormick,
John Edwards
Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...
, to provide expert coaching, under the supervision of the former Fitzroy off-spinner Joe Plant.
In 1958, the St Kilda team set a record that still stands today: in the match against Northcote, at the rain affected St Kilda Cricket Ground, on Saturday 15 November 1958, St Kilda dismissed Northcote in its first innings for just 33 runs. With such a collapse, only the two fast bowlers John Edwards (1928–2002) and Peter Hosking (1932–) were used in the first innings. Let loose in the second innings, Hill took 5/21 (including
Bill Lawry
William Morris Lawry (born 11 February 1937) is an Australian former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Test matches, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural O ...
, l.b.w. for 14 runs).
In November 1961, Jack Hill and John Edwards, both playing for St Kilda Cricket Club were both chasing 500 wickets in District Cricket; at that stage they had each taken 497 and 496 wickets, respectively. On the following Saturday (4 November), Hill took four wickets for 6 runs; whilst Edwards failed to take a wicket.
Hill played his last game for the St Kilda Cricket Club in the 1963/1964 District Cricket semi-final against Essendon in March 1964. St Kilda lost the match, with Hill scoring 7 runs in his only innings, and failing to take a wicket.
In a 1950 interview, the Prahran Cricket Club Captain, Ivan Porter, said that of all the bowlers that he had ever faced in his long career, that he was the most impressed with Jack Hill: "He is one of the most difficult to score runs off".
At the end of the 2009/2010 District Cricket season, Jack Hill still shared the St Kilda Cricket Club record for 68 wickets in a season with
Harry Zachariah (1911–2009), who had played with
Northcote and
University
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
(which he captained), before playing 72 games for the St Kilda club from 1940/1941 to 1943/1944, and then moving to the Richmond Cricket Club for the 1944/1945 season. Zachariah took 68 wickets for the St Kilda twice in a single season: in the 1941/1942 and 1943/1944 seasons. Across his whole career, Hill took 612 wickets at an average of 12.99.
Bureaucrat
At the time of his death (at 51) he was a high-level civil servant in the Age and Invalid Pension division of the Victorian Office of the
Commonwealth Department of Social Security.
He was also responsible for the management and oversight of the casual ticket selling staff at the
St. Kilda Cricket Ground and the
South Melbourne Cricket Ground
Lakeside Stadium is an Australian sports arena in the South Melbourne suburb of Albert Park. Comprising an athletics track and soccer stadium, it currently serves as the home ground and administrative base for association football club Sout ...
for the home matches of the
Fitzroy Football Club
The Fitzroy Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA). Formed in 1883 to represent the inner-Melbourne municipality of Fitzroy, the club was a member of the V ...
and the
South Melbourne Football Club, respectively.
Honours
He is a member of the Ballarat Sports Museum's Hall of Fame.
References
External links
*
Victoria Premier Cricket biography: John (Jack) Charles Hill
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Jack
1923 births
1974 deaths
Australia Test cricketers
Victoria cricketers
Melbourne Cricket Club cricketers
Australian cricketers
Cricketers from Melbourne
People educated at St Patrick's College, Ballarat
Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II
People from Murrumbeena, Victoria
Military personnel from Melbourne