Leonard Joseph Johnson (18 March 1919 – 20 April 1977) 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 striki ...

er who played in one

Test match Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to: * Test cricket * Test match (indoor cricket) * Test match (rugby union) * Test match (rugby league) * Test match (association football) ...

in 1948.

Cricket career

Johnson gained recognition representing Queensland in the "Sheffield Shield" competition for Australian troops at Bougainville, in the Solomons, at the end of

World War II 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 ...

. He played 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_ ...

from 1946–47 to 1952–53. He toured New Zealand with an Australian second XI in 1950, but despite his talent he only played one Test: against

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in the final Test of the 1947–48 series. He scored 25 not out and took 3 for 66 and 3 for 8. Earlier in the season he had taken seven wickets in Queensland's victory over the Indian team. It is thought that

Sam Loxton Samuel John Everett Loxton (29 March 19213 December 2011) was an Australian cricketer, footballer and politician. Among these three pursuits, his greatest achievements were attained on the cricket field; he played in 12 Tests for Australia fr ...

won preference over him in selection for the 1948 tour of England. He achieved his best bowling figures of 7 for 43 twice: against

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 ...

in 1949–50, and against

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

in 1951–52. He ended his playing career with a tally of 171 wickets in 43 Shield matches for Queensland, a state record until it was overtaken by

Ross Duncan John Ross Frederick Duncan (born 25 March 1944) is a former Australian cricketer who played one Test in 1971. A right-arm fast-medium bowler, Duncan was brought into the Test team for the Fifth Test at Melbourne which replaced the Victoria sec ...

and Peter Allan.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Len 1919 births 1977 deaths Australia Test cricketers Queensland cricketers Sportspeople from Ipswich, Queensland Cricketers from Queensland