The

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

tour of Australia in 1946-47 under the captaincy of

Wally Hammond Walter Reginald Hammond (19 June 1903 – 1 July 1965) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed cap ...

was its ninth since it took official control of overseas tours in 1903-1904 and the first since 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 ...

. The touring team played as England in the

1946–47 Ashes series The 1946–47 Ashes series consisted of five cricket Test matches, each of six days with five hours play each day and eight ball overs. Unlike pre-war Tests in Australia, matches were not timeless and played to a finish. It formed part of the M ...

against

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, but as the MCC in all other games. In all there were 25 matches; 5

Test matches 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) ...

(which they lost 3-0), 13 other First Class matches (which they won 1-0) and 7 minor matches (which they won 3-0). Australia had been suffering a drought since 1937, but this ended as it rained in every match the MCC played on tour, including tropical thunderstorms twice in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

and again in

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 ...

.p180, Cary However, this had an adverse effect on the pitches and denied the touring team adequate practice and lead to many draws.

''Hammond's ill-equipped army returned to England beaten, yet deserving of the highest honours for their sportsmanship, their ability to smile in the face of certain disaster and also for their success in gaining the objective of their invasion - the spreading of cricket goodwill from the Homeland to a
Dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 1926 ...
.'' :
Clif Cary Clif Cary was an Australian cricket reporter of the 1930s and 1940s. He was the "sports editor on the commercial radio network with the largest sports audience in the Commonwealth" and in 1946 he published ''Test Cricket and Records'', "a splendi ...

Traveling to Australia

''The Stirling Castle was still under the control of War Transport and was equipped more or less as a troopship - no luxury cabins as the case for the team now.
Laurie Fishlock Laurence Barnard Fishlock (2 January 1907 – 25 June 1986) was an English cricketer, who played in four Test matches from 1936 to 1947. A specialist batsman, he achieved little in those four matches, but might have had a much more substantial ...
and I shared a cabin so small that we could hardly turn round. The ship was 'dry' and on board were some 700
war bride War brides are women who married military personnel from other countries in times of war or during military occupations, a practice that occurred in great frequency during World War I and World War II. Among the largest and best documented examp ...
s returning to Australia.''

The MCC team left austerity Britain on 31 August 1946 on the ''SS Stirling Castle'' and sailed to Australia, arriving in

Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

in September 1946, three weeks before their first scheduled match. They used this time to acclimatise and practice in the nets, but also to put on weight. Having arrived from a country that had had seven years of rationing Australia was a 'land flowing with milk and honey' and Hammond promised his men "the happiest six months of their lives".p3, Cary Everyone in the team put on weight, one "consuming more in one day in Perth than his full weekly ration in London" and the big bowlers

Bill Voce Bill Voce (8 August 1909 – 6 June 1984) was an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire and England. As a fast bowler, he was an instrumental part of England's infamous Bodyline strategy in their tour of Australia in 1932–1933 under ...

and Dick Pollard adding up to two stone ( 28 lbs) in weight. The team sent home food parcels from each city they visited and in general took an easy time of it. A Saturday Night Club was organised in which the team would don

bow-ties The bow tie is a type of necktie. A modern bow tie is tied using a common shoelace knot, which is also called the bow knot for that reason. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar of a shirt in a symmetrical manner so that the ...

in MCC colours and sit down to a full dinner together. Aware that this would affect their mobility in the field physical training was organised, but it was not kept up. In general the atmosphere was that of a holiday, with the feeling that this was a goodwill tour to re-establish cricketing relations ten years after the last tour of Australia, and that a serious cricket would not begin until the

1948 Ashes series The 1948 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 10 June 1948, England and Australia played five Tests. Australia had not lost a Test since the Second World War and w ...

. The English and Australian press praised them for their sporting attitude and dwelt on the batting prowess of

Len Hutton Sir Leonard Hutton (23 June 1916 – 6 September 1990) was an English cricketer. He played as an opening batsman for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1934 to 1955 and for England in 79 Test matches between 1937 and 1955. ''Wisden Cricketer ...

Denis Compton Denis Charles Scott Compton (23 May 1918 – 23 April 1997) was an English multi-sportsman. As a cricketer he played in 78 Test matches and spent his whole cricket career with Middlesex. As a footballer, he played as a winger and spent most o ...

and the bowling abilities of Alec Bedser and

Doug Wright Douglas Wright (born December 20, 1962) is an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2004 for his play ''I Am My Own Wife''. Early years Wright was born in Dallas, Texas. He attended and ...

Northam and Country Districts vs MCC

A major part of the MCC tour was to fly the flag, promote cricket throughout Australia and earn revenue for the English counties. All these were fulfilled by playing upcountry games against local

grade cricket Grade cricket, also known as Premier Cricket is the name of the senior inter-club or district cricket competitions in each of the Australian states and territories. The term may refer to: *Victorian Premier Cricket * NSW Premier Cricket *Queensl ...

teams and as these sides were roughly the equivalent to Lancashire League they provided the tourists with valuable practice before taking on the state sides and Australia. Northam was a small mining town 60 miles inland from

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...

, but the mine was played out and the local economy was geared to sheep-raising. After regaining their land legs from their voyage the team travelled up. It had been 10 years since the MCC had toured Australia in 1936-37, the town was decorated as if for a

fête In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Village fêtes Village f� ...

and the players were entertained by the locals. The Northam captain won the toss and batted, but his team was soon out as big left-arm fast bowler

of Bodyline fame took 3/11 and Peter Smith 5/55 with his leg-spin. The opener Tetlaw top-scored with 34 and added 44 for the fifth wicket with Lawrence (32). Slater made 26 batting at number 7, but no one else reached double figures and they were out for 123.

(51) and Cyril Washbrook (47) added 93 for the first wicket, then

hit 84 with 11 fours and

131 with 19 fours and 4 sixes before he 'retired out' and declared the innings at 409/6 after tea the next day. This proved sufficient to bowl out the Northam team for 71, Tetlaw (29) again top-scored, but

Bill Edrich William John Edrich (26 March 1916 – 24 April 1986) was a first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex County Cricket Club, Middlesex, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Norfolk County Cricket Club, Norfolk and England cricket team, England. Ed ...

added figures of 6/20 to his three first innings catches and 38 not out. Smith took 4/18 and the MCC won by an innings and 215 runs inside two days.

Western Australia Colts vs MCC

After the game at Northam the MCC preceded to

where Yardley led them in a one-day game against the Western Australian Colts, mostly 20-year-olds trying to get into the Western Australian team. The Colts won the toss and put the MCC into bat. Cyril Washbrook made 25 before he was lbw to William Alderman, the father of Terry Alderman. The wicketkeeper

Paul Gibb Paul Antony Gibb (11 July 1913 – 7 December 1977) was an English cricketer, who played in eight Tests for England from 1938 to 1946. He played first-class cricket for Cambridge University, Yorkshire and Essex, as a right-handed opening or mid ...

opened with Washbrook as Hammond wanted him to bat at number three in the Tests and made 51, adding 63 for the first wicket.

Laurie Fishlock Laurence Barnard Fishlock (2 January 1907 – 25 June 1986) was an English cricketer, who played in four Test matches from 1936 to 1947. A specialist batsman, he achieved little in those four matches, but might have had a much more substantial ...

(50) and

Norman Yardley Norman Walter Dransfield Yardley (19 March 1915 – 3 October 1989) was an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and England, as a right-handed batsman and occasional bowler. An amateur, he ca ...

(31 not out) added 73 for the fourth wicket and the MCC declared at 197/4. Dick Pollard and

had the Colts 7/2, but they recovered, with

Wally Langdon Christopher Walter Langdon (4 July 1922 – 2 May 2004) was an Australian sportsman who played Australian rules football and cricket at high levels. He played two seasons of senior football for in the Western Australian National Football League ...

making 48 and though wickets fell steadily they survived the day on 138/6.

Western Australia vs MCC

Although they would win the 1947–48

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 ...

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 ...

were its weakest team (

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

was not yet included) and isolated from the rest of Australia, so they provided an easy start for the MCC's round of state matches. The WACA Ground would not see a Test match until the

1970-71 Ashes series Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 '' Ab urbe con ...

. George Robinson won the toss for the home side and batted. Herbert Rigg (34) and Allan Edwards (43) made their first class debuts and added 76 for the first wicket. David Watt (85) and Morgan Herbet (53) made 118 for the fifth wicket as Peter Smith (4/132) and

(4/55) trundled their way through the batting order.

(2/75) picked up a couple of late wickets and Western Australia were out for 366 on the second morning. Gibb and Washbrook opened again, but it was

Jack Ikin John Thomas Ikin (7 March 1918 – 15 September 1984) was an English cricketer, who played in eighteen Test cricket, Test matches from 1946 to 1955. A "calm, popular left-hander who also bowled leg spin", Ikin played most of his cricket for Lanc ...

(66) and Joe Hardstaff (53) who made the early runs, followed by

's 208. This was Hammond's 36th double hundred, overtaking

Don Bradman Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has bee ...

's record and this early indication of good form gave the Australians some worries (Bradman retook the record in 1947-48). He added 71 with

(31) and 149 with Smith (46) as the MCC made 477 in 478 minutes. Due to the rain this only left 46 minutes for the WA second innings and they made a safe 48/1. 19,500 people watched the game with £1,809 in receipts.

Western Australia Combined XI vs MCC

''...the captain was sarcastic about Denis's 'capering about' outside his crease and rubbed in the point by turning to
Jack Ikin John Thomas Ikin (7 March 1918 – 15 September 1984) was an English cricketer, who played in eighteen Test cricket, Test matches from 1946 to 1955. A "calm, popular left-hander who also bowled leg spin", Ikin played most of his cricket for Lanc ...
and commending him for sticking in his ground. 'Let the ball come to you, that's the way to play out here.' Denis, from whom I had the story, was much deflated - he was, in fact, stumped for 98...The
oracle An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word '' ...
was listened to with great respect, and his dictum was largely taken up by those who followed him in the England XIs - especially by Hutton, who was a fine enough technician to play slow bowling without coming out to meet it. To the ordinary mortal it is fatal to so surrender the initiative to slow bowling.'' :
E.W. Swanton Ernest William Swanton (11 February 1907 – 22 January 2000) was an English journalist and author, chiefly known for being a cricket writer and Sportscaster, commentator under his initials, E. W. Swanton. He worked as a sports journalist for ...

To help Western Australia play the MCC on more even terms, and show some Australian talent to the Perth crowd Sid Barnes of

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 ...

Ken Meuleman Kenneth Douglas Meuleman (5 September 1923 – 10 September 2004) was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1946. His cricket career started in Victoria, but after moving to Perth, Western Australia, he established himself as ...

and Ian Johnson of Victoria and

Bruce Dooland Bruce Dooland (1 November 1923 – 8 September 1980) was an Australian cricketer who played in three Test matches for the Australian national cricket team during the late 1940s. During the war Dooland was in an Australian Commando unit servin ...

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 ...

were sent over to make up a Combined XI. Robinson won the toss again and they made 462 with David Watt making 157. Barnes and Allan Edwards both made 45 and Johnson 87. The MCC bowling looked plain, but

's leg-spin was tested with old fashioned figures of 4/172. From this Hammond concluded that he wasn't a true all-rounder and thereafter used him in the minor games and rarely in the Tests. Every MCC match of the tour was rain-affected and the game finished when the tourists completed their first innings of 308. Cyril Washbrook (80) and

(98) added 123 against the spin of Johnson (3/76) and Dooland (4/88) which they were seeing for the first time; "It was amazing to see Compton occasionally run down the pitch, change his mind, and either play the ball like a

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

bunt, or scamper back to ground his bat in time to get the benefit of the doubt on a stumping appeal". Hammond was scathing of Compton's habit of walking down the wicket to the slow bowlers and his instructions to his batsmen to stay within the crease to the spinners made them play as if nailed to the wicket in the Tests with dire consequences. In fairness Hammond had made many runs in Australia that way, but in 1928-29 when Australia had no decent spinners and Australians themselves are brought up to use their feet against the slow men. 24,500 came to watch the match with receipts of £1,832.

South Australia Country vs MCC

With

as captain the MCC were taken by train (complete with

cow-catcher A cowcatcher, also known as a pilot, is the device mounted at the front of a locomotive to deflect obstacles on the track that might otherwise damage or derail it or the train. In the UK small metal bars called ''life-guards'', ''rail guard ...

) to

and "a town of rudimentary graces (at least in those days) called Port Pirie where the opposition was terribly bad and very few people even came to watch".

(164),

(98),

(100 in 67 minutes) and Joe Hardstaff (67 not out) helped themselves to runs in the MCC's 487/6 declared. The Country openers C.V. Wright (32) and J.A.J. Horsell (27) initially held up the bowlers, but once out the remaining wickets were scooped up by Peter Smith (5/16) and

(5/40) as they collapsed to 87 all out. Following on C.V. Wright (25) and G.F. Tuck (30) made another stand after Horsell was out for a duck, but they were all out for 92. Only the spinners were used this time Wright (3/38), Smith (3/27) and

James Langridge James Langridge (10 July 1906 – 10 September 1966) was an English cricketer, who played for Sussex and England. He played in eight Tests than spanned either side of World War II. Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, noted, "a great servant of Sus ...

(4/17) in a victory by an innings and 308 runs.

South Australia vs MCC

The game against South Australia caused much interest as

played his first match of the season after almost a year without top flight cricket and speculation about his health. Alec Bedser sat in the stands with Bradman's son John, but Hammond won the toss and chose to bat. After the warning not to caper about the wicket at Perth

(136) and Cyril Washbrook (113) spent five hours adding 235 runs for the first wicket with "the eternal pushing of half-volleys and the gentle nudging of longhops from noon to dark". Against a fairly toothless attack in which

was the best bowler with 3/146

and

both made 71 in a stand of 111 and

(54 not out) and

(35 not out) took the score to 506/5 before the declaration at the close of the second day. Bradman came in at 26/2 and after he was dropped by

Godfrey Evans Thomas Godfrey Evans (18 August 1920 – 3 May 1999) was an English cricketer who played for Kent and England. Described by ''Wisden'' as 'arguably the best wicket-keeper the game has ever seen', Evans collected 219 dismissals in 91 Test match ...

played a careful innings of 76. He added 83 with Phil Ridings (57) and 90 with Ron James (58) before he was caught and bowled by Peter Smith (5/93). The tail collapsed from 199/3 to 262/9 at stumps with

taking 3/60 and Hammond enforced the follow on when they were dismissed for 266. Reginald Craig made 111 and Bradman only 3, but John Mann helped save the day with 62 not out, adding 92 with Craig and 42 runs with Geff Noblet (25 not out). South Australia avoided an innings defeat with 276/8 and the game was drawn. 42,144 attended with receipts of £3,194.

Victoria vs MCC

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 ...

's Victoria was a tougher proposition, and they would win the

for the 17th time that season. Yardley won the toss and batted, but they struggled against an attack of near Test strength;

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) (1894–1946), American tennis champion * ...

Fred Freer Frederick Alfred William Freer (4 December 1915 – 2 November 1998) was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1946. Freer was a fast-medium bowler more accurate than Keith Miller. While playing for Victoria, Freer was called ...

, Ian Johnson, George Tribe and

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, an ...

. Washbrook was out for a duck, Gibb 22 and Hutton and Hardstaff 15 each, but

made 143, added 119 with

(70), then carried on batting with the tail. The Victorian bowlers shared the wickets and the MCC were out for 358 early on the second morning. Before stumps Victoria were out for 189 thanks to

(3/48) and

(6/48). Hassett top scored with a stonewalling 57 until he went to

(1/18) and Yardley sent in his batsmen at the end of the day rather than enforce the follow on. Nobody made more than 21 except for

with 151 not out "He defended superbly against balls which jumped alarmingly or spun viciously across the wicket, and flayed all that was loose". Johnson took 4/38 and Yardley declared on 279/7, leaving Victoria 449 to win on a dusty pitch. Hassett scored 57 again as did

Merv Harvey Mervyn Roye Harvey (29 April 1918 – 18 March 1995) was a cricketer who played in one Test match for Australia in 1947. His younger brother, Neil, was one of Australia's finest batsmen, and the pair played together for Victoria during the latt ...

, but Wright took 4/73 to give him 10 wickets in the match, Alec Bedser took 3/40 and Hutton bowled the opener Gordon Tamblyn with his leg-spin. Victoria were out for 204 runs and the MCC won by 224 runs - their only first class victory of the tour. They were helped by the pitch not having fully recovered from the

Aussie Rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

season, even though they dropped catches innumerable. 64,322 attended with receipts of £6,176

Australian XI vs MCC

The Australia XI match was used by Australian selectors to see up and coming cricketers in action before choosing a team. It was

's turn to host two Tests this series, so the match was held in

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 ...

as a virtual Test match, though losing the first and fourth days of play to rain dampened the game somewhat. Usually the Australian vice-captain took control, but Bradman needed match practice and took command with Hassett alongside. Many potential Test players were also included;

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 h ...

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 ...

Colin McCool Colin Leslie McCool (9 December 1916 – 5 April 1986) was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Test matches between 1946 and 1950. McCool, born in Paddington, New South Wales, was an all-rounder who bowled leg spin and googlies with ...

Ron Saggers Ronald Arthur Saggers (15 May 1917 – 17 March 1987) was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales. He played briefly for the Australian team, playing six Tests between 1948 and 1950. In his Test cricket career he made 24 di ...

and

. Hammond was back in charge and batted after winning the toss. Hutton (71) and Washbrook (57) made an opening stand of 122, but only Hammond (51) passed 30 of the other batsmen and they were out for 314. McCool (7/106) dismissed Hutton, Washbrook, Edrich, Compton, Hammond, Yardley and Voce with his flighted

wrist spin Wrist spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket. It refers to the cricket technique and specific hand movements associated with imparting a particular direction of spin to the cricket ball. The other spinning technique, usually used to ...

and "the English batsmen seemed like rabbits fascinated in the presence of a snake". The Australian XI opened with Harvey and Morris, who added 39 before Bradman came in. The Don made 106, Morris 115, they added 196 together and the Australian XI made 327/5 before rain ruined the final day. 84,336 attended (receipts unknown).

New South Wales vs MCC

Another rain-soaked match was played at Sydney. Hammond and Howard went to visit

Sammy Carter Hanson "Sammy" Carter (15 March 1878 – 8 June 1948) was a cricketer who played for Australia and New South Wales. Career Carter attended Sydney Boys High School in 1894. A wicket-keeper, he made his debut for New South Wales in 1897–98, a ...

, the wicketkeeper of Warwick Armstrong's Australian teams of 1920-21 and 1921 who won 8 Tests in a row, but was now confined to a

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...

. He had donated £1,000 to the restoration of the

Old Trafford cricket ground Old Trafford is a cricket ground in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England. It opened in 1857 as the home of Manchester Cricket Club and has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1864. From 2013 onwards it has been known as ...

which had been bombed during the war and they wished to give him their personal thanks. Hammond won the toss and fielded, seeing

make an unbeaten 53 in their 99/4 in the time allowed in between the showers. The second and third days were rained off completely and Morris took his score to 81 not out when Sid Barnes declared. Hutton made a flawless 97 before he was run out after two hours and the MCC ended with 156/2. 22,733 attended with receipts of £2,320

Queensland vs MCC

''People who were praying for water were among those to give the tourists a tremendous
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
welcome. Rain had fallen in every match in which the Englishmen had played and the record was maintained until the end of the tour...'' :
Clif Cary Clif Cary was an Australian cricket reporter of the 1930s and 1940s. He was the "sports editor on the commercial radio network with the largest sports audience in the Commonwealth" and in 1946 he published ''Test Cricket and Records'', "a splendi ...

In the last match before the First Test the Queensland captain

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 ...

won the toss and batted. Rex Rogers (66) and Geoff Cook (who carried his bat for 169) put on 111 for the first wicket and Allan Young made 53, but no one else made 30 and they were out for 400.

, barely recognised as a change bowler by

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

, took 3/19; "It was always amusing to watch the Englishmen when Yardley took a wicket. The first time he succeeded they seemed faintly amused, but when he was regularly breaking partnerships their enthusiasm knew no bounds..." The MCC made a pedestrian reply with 9 batsmen getting into double figures, but only two passing 50. Hutton (42) and Washbrook (40) made 65 together,

55 and

64 not out. Ian Johnson opened the bowling with 4/53 and

took 6/105 (Hutton, Washbrook, Gibb, Hammond, Yardley and Bedser) and the tourists were out for 310. Queensland batted for a declaration hitting 230/6 in 177 minutes,

Ken Mackay Kenneth Donald Mackay (24 October 1925 – 13 June 1982) was an Australian cricketer who played in 37 Test matches between 1956 and 1963. Biography He was universally known as "Slasher", an ironic reference to his often back-to-the-wall battin ...

sticking in for 33 not out while Len Johnson hit 75 at the other end. Needing 321 to win in 224 minutes the MCC went for a draw. Cyril Washbrook made 124 and helped by Edrich (71) in a stand of 162 for the second wicket this was done with few problems, though McCool (3/73) took three late wickets (Washbrook, Ikin and Compton) to leave them 238/6.

First Test – Brisbane

''See Main Article - 1946–47 Ashes series''

Queensland Country vs MCC

The team travelled 160 miles north after the disastrous First Test to play at Gympie. The Queensland Country XI Thomas Allen won the toss and batted. Allen himself top-scored with 53, with Len Johnson making 40 and Herbert Zischke 32. Peter Smith proved useful in another minor game and took 5/80 as the home side were dismissed for 208. The reserve openers

(31) and

(62) made an opening stand of 82, Joe Hardstaff stroked his way to 64 and the all rounder

42. The local fast bowler Tim Ball took 5/69 and Len Johnson 3/51 as the MCC were out for 282, but the leg-breaks of

's brother Bill were hit for 0/73. Back in to bat the Queensland XI made a solid 311/9 with James Cockburn (41), Tim Allen (40), Colin Stribe (75) and Keith Gartell (52 not out) seeing out the draw.

Second Test – Sydney

''See Main Article - 1946–47 Ashes series''

Northern New South Wales vs MCC

After losing their second Test by an innings the MCC went north to the industrial town of Newcastle for the first of four minor games before the Third Test at Melbourne. This one was against the combined grade sides of Northern

was captain, and struck 142 in the MCC's 395, with

making 110,

59 not out and

42 with Hinman taking 5/92. Hinman opened the batting with 46, the top-score in their reply of 202 as

took 4/45, with Dick Pollard (2/62),

(2/46) and even

(2/4) helping out. The MCC batted again, but Pickles took 4/29 to dismiss Hutton (5), Washbrook (9), Fishlock (0) and Langridge (0), but

made 75 not out and Hammond 30 not out coming in at number 8 as they finished on 146/6 in another draw.

Southern New South Wales vs MCC

The team travelled to the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...

for another two day game in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

against the combined grade teams of South New South Wales. Hammond captained again, won the toss and batted.

and Cyril Washbrook made hay with 133 and 115 in an opening knock of 254, Hammond made 42 and Compton 76 as the MCC made 465/8 on the first day. The second day was ruined by rain, which was fortunate for Southern NSW as Hammond declared his overnight score and they collapsed to 11/4 to Dick Pollard's 4/2.

Victoria Country vs MCC

The MCC continued south into Victoria for another Country XI game, this time a one-day knockabout. The local team batted first and the off-spinner Peter Smith took another useful 6/43. Smith was ill during much of the tour and proved too slow in the air for first class cricket in Australia, so was used in the minor games to rest other players. Gibb (49) and Fishlock (41) opened again and

made 62 as they passed the Victorian Country XI total of 156 for a four wicket win, but carried on batting to 200/4, when Edrich was out, in order to gather some batting practice.

Third Test – Melbourne

''See Main Article - 1946–47 Ashes series''

Tasmania Combined XI vs MCC

''Social successes are one of the causes of their cricket failure. They are not always going to bed early in the Tests. Some are known to have reached their hotels long after the Australians have been tucked up for the night. There are tourists who do not give the impression that cricket is their main consideration''. :
Clif Cary Clif Cary was an Australian cricket reporter of the 1930s and 1940s. He was the "sports editor on the commercial radio network with the largest sports audience in the Commonwealth" and in 1946 he published ''Test Cricket and Records'', "a splendi ...
, ''
Sunday Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...
''

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

were a weak side and they were sent some help from the mainland to play the MCC and showcase the talents of some star players;

and Ian Johnson of Victoria and Sid Barnes of

preferred to stay in Melbourne, which was seen as a slight to the state, while his overworked bowlers had to go. Major Howard replied that Hammond was badly in need of a rest and that Wright and Bedser were given to option of resting in Melbourne, but chose to go to Tasmania. When Hammond was unable to play in the Fifth Test it was thought that it was illness that kept him in Melbourne.

won the toss and batted, the MCC making 278 on the first day.

held the early innings together with 52 as they crashed to 53/4 with

(82), Alec Bedser (51) - his first first class 50 - and

(34) hoisting up the lower order. They were asked to restrain themselves from hitting sixes due to the glass shortage, but the Tasmanian captain Ron Morrisby was not asked and the opener Ron Thomas twice lifted Dick Pollard over the ropes in his innings of 16 at the end of the day, though no windows were broken. Morrisby was also out for 16, but Barnes made 57, Hassett 35 and Miller 70 with the wicketkeeper Gardiner hitting 94 batting at number 9. Pollard was hit for 2/124 off 20 overs and the Combined XI hit 374 in 250 minutes. Coming in 96 runs behind on the first innings Fishlock (46) and Hardstaff (60) added 91 for the second wicket, then

struck 124, his first innings of note since the start of the tour.

(50) helped him add 168 for the fourth wicket and Yardley declared on 353/9. The task of making 258 runs in under two hours was not seriously attempted, but Ian Johnson came in at number three and hit an unbeaten 80 out of 145/2. 18,700 attended the game with £2,718 in receipts.

Tasmania vs MCC

Some of the oldest grade clubs in Australia are in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, but it was a weak state side that would not fully complete in the

for another 25 years. With the Australian Test players returning home the MCC ran up 361/3 on the first day after winning the toss. Hutton gave a sound start with 51, but Joe Hardstaff (155) and

(163) stroked their way through a stand of 282. The second day was rain-affected and Yardley declared at 467/5 to give him the chance of dismissing Tasmania twice in a day.

(2/7),

(4/26) and

(3/17) ran through their first innings and only Julian Murflett's 46 not out from number 9 brought them up from 49/8 to 103 all out. Following on Tasmania lost regular wickets to Compton (4/51), but ensured a draw with 129/6. 10,290 attended the game with £1,176 in receipts.

South Australia vs MCC

''For Hammond there was one highlight in a season of disasters...he became the seventh man in cricket history to register an aggregate of more than 50,000 runs in first-class games. Hammond reached his goal in his 992nd innings, and for some time afterwards he was kept busy answering congratulatory letters, telegrams, and cables from admirers in all parts of the world. :
Clif Cary Clif Cary was an Australian cricket reporter of the 1930s and 1940s. He was the "sports editor on the commercial radio network with the largest sports audience in the Commonwealth" and in 1946 he published ''Test Cricket and Records'', "a splendi ...

rejoined the team at

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

for the return match against South Australia. He chose to bat on a slow pitch and the MCC batted into the third day for 577.

led the way with 88,

made 57, but the highlight was the captain's 167th first class century of 188 which made him the seventh man to make 50,000 first class runs after

W.G. Grace William Gilbert Grace (18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English amateur cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest players. He played first-class cricket for a record-equal ...

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 ...

Phil Mead Charles Phillip Mead (9 March 1887 – 26 March 1958) was an English first-class cricketer. He played as a left-handed batsman for Hampshire and England between 1905 and 1936. He was born at 10 Ashton Buildings (since pulled down), second elde ...

, Frank Woolley, Patsy Hendren 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 ...

. before these milestones even loyal England supporters had been calling for him to be dropped from the team because of his poor form, and to allow

to captain England. Hammond added 243 with

(100) and only

returned respectable figures with 4/67 off 33.7 overs.

(3/90) dismissed Reginald Craig and

for 26/2, but South Australia responded well with 443, Paul Ridings making 77, Ron Hamance 145 and Ron James 85.

bowled manfully for 4/125, but the surprise was Hardstaff who snapped up 3/24 with his medium-pacers on a wicket which started to break up late on the second day. With only two hours left Hutton put in some batting practice with 77 not out and Hardstaff 40 not out, but Washbrook was out for a duck. It was hoped that a similar wicket in the forthcoming Fourth Test would aid Wright, but the over-prepared Test pitch was "as dead as

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

" and it was thought that the MCC pitch had been neglected as a result. 34,068 attended the game with £2,950 in receipts.

Fourth Test – Adelaide

''See Main Article - 1946–47 Ashes series''

Victoria Country vs MCC

After the drawn Fourth Test Hammond took the MCC to the famous Victorian gold rush town

Ballarat Ballarat ( ) is a city in the Central Highlands (Victoria), Central Highlands of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 Census, Ballarat had a population of 116,201, making it the third largest city in Victoria. Estimated resid ...

, which was at the start of a post-war boom. The Victorian Country XI batted first and made an impressive 268 even though only Douglas Brown (64) exceeded 40.

took 3/28 and Peter Smith 3/70. The local fast bowler Robert McArthur (2/70) soon had Fishlock and Edrich out for ducks and the opener-wicketkeeper

had to fight back with 69. Plummer took 4/68 and the MCC only overtook the Country team by 20 runs thanks to

(61) and

(82). Hammond could not bat due to his fibrosis, which made him unfit for the Fifth Test. Dick Pollard (2/7) took two quick wickets and Smith (2/10) another couple, but the match was drawn with the local team 70/5 at the end of the second day.

Victoria vs MCC

''He played the ball in the middle of the bat for an over or two. Then he commenced to make strokes. He glanced Pollard for four. He hooked Wright to the fence...All young Harvey's strokes were true. He placed his off and on drives past the fieldsmen... Jack Ryder, was deeply impressed.
Trumper Trumper is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Notable People *Gillian Trumper (1936–2019), Canadian politician *Lutz Trümper (born 1955), German politician *Simon Trumper (born 1963), English poker player *Victor Trumper (1877� ...
,
Clem Hill Clement "Clem" Hill (18 March 18775 September 1945) was an Australian cricketer who played 49 Test matches as a specialist batsman between 1896 and 1912. He captained the Australian team in ten Tests, winning five and losing five. A prolifi ...
, Macartney, Bradman, Jackson were in their teens when they played their first Test.
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. ...
has excellent prospects of joining their company.'' :
Clif Cary Clif Cary was an Australian cricket reporter of the 1930s and 1940s. He was the "sports editor on the commercial radio network with the largest sports audience in the Commonwealth" and in 1946 he published ''Test Cricket and Records'', "a splendi ...

With Hammond ill

led the team in the return match against Victoria. He won the toss and batted with the MCC making 355.

made 51,

93,

71 and

41, with

taking 4/63 and the slow left-arm wrist-spin of George Tribe going for 3/142. Victoria were in trouble at 32/3, but captain

(126) added 120 runs in 120 minutes with the 18-year-old

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. ...

(69). Tribe made 60 coming in at number 9 and added 57 for the last wicket with the wicketkeeper Bill Baker to take Victoria to 327. Batting again the tourists floundered to Tribe whose 6/49 cleared them up for 118, leaving the home side 151 to win, but there was no time and the game ended with the MCC innings. 39,011 attended the game with £3,578 in receipts.

New South Wales vs MCC

In their penultimate match of the Australian tour the MCC returned to Sydney. Ginty Lush won the toss and batted.

Keith Carmody Douglas Keith Carmody (16 February 1919 – 21 October 1977) was an Australian first-class cricketer who played during the 1940s and 1950s. He was Western Australia's captain when they won their first ever Sheffield Shield and is credited as ...

(65) and

(44) made an opening partnership of 78, Sid Barnes also made 44, Eric Lukeman 70 and

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 f ...

45, but the most notable performance was by Peter Smith. Smith had suffered a hand injury en route to Australia, was in hospital for weeks with

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rup ...

and was considered too slow in the air and flat in

trajectory A trajectory or flight path is the path that an object with mass in motion follows through space as a function of time. In classical mechanics, a trajectory is defined by Hamiltonian mechanics via canonical coordinates; hence, a complete traj ...

to succeed on Australian wickets, but he took 9/121 by attacking the off stump, the best figures by an English bowler in Australia. New South Wales were out for 342, but had the MCC out for 266.

had made 19 of 20 runs when he was caught on the chin by a bumper from Ginty Lush (0/20) and was taken to hospital, but returned at 172/7 and made 40.

hit 75 while he was away and the NSW bowlers sharing the honours; Lindwall 2/54,

3/51,

Ernie Toshack Ernest Raymond Herbert Toshack (8 December 1914 – 11 May 2003) was an Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests from 1946 to 1948. A left arm medium paced bowler known for his accuracy and stamina in the application of leg theory, Toshac ...

3/88 and John Pettiford 2/48. Leading by 76 runs NSW needed quicks runs and made 262/5 in 226 minutes. Morris struck 47, Lukeman 45 and Ronald Kissell 80 not out. Smith took 3/73 to bring his match total to 12/194. Asked to make 347 runs in just over two hours the MCC could only go for a draw and Hutton (72) and Compton (74 not out) took them to 203/3 without much trouble. 23,228 attended the game with £2,103 in receipts.

Fifth Test – Sydney

''See Main Article - 1946–47 Ashes series''

First Class Tour Averages

Source
As was the convention of the time gentleman amateurs have their initials in front of their surname and professional players have their initials after their name, if used at all.p14 and p97,

Fred Titmus Frederick John Titmus (24 November 1932 – 23 March 2011) was an English cricketer, whose first-class career, mostly for Middlesex with a shortish stint for Surrey, spanned five decades. He was the fourth man after W.G. Grace, Wilfred Rhod ...

, ''My Life in Cricket'', John Blake Publishing Ltd, 2005

References

Bibliography

* Ashley Brown, ''The Pictorial History of Cricket'', Bison, 1988 *

Clif Cary Clif Cary was an Australian cricket reporter of the 1930s and 1940s. He was the "sports editor on the commercial radio network with the largest sports audience in the Commonwealth" and in 1946 he published ''Test Cricket and Records'', "a splendi ...

, ''Cricket Controversy, Test matches in Australia 1946-47'', T. Werner Laurie Ltd, 1948 *

, ''Flying Stumps'', Marlin Books, 1954 *

, ''Cricket Crossfire'', Oldbourne Press, 1956 * A.G. Moyes, ''A Century of Cricketers'', Angus and Robertson, 1950 *

E.W. Swanton Ernest William Swanton (11 February 1907 – 22 January 2000) was an English journalist and author, chiefly known for being a cricket writer and Sportscaster, commentator under his initials, E. W. Swanton. He worked as a sports journalist for ...

, ''Swanton in Australia with MCC 1946–1975'', Fontana/Collins, 1975 * Bob Willis and Patrick Murphy, ''Starting with Grace, A Pictorial Celebration of Cricket 1864-1986'', Stanley Paul, 1986 :''References using

Cricinfo ESPN cricinfo (formerly known as Cricinfo or CricInfo) is a sports news website exclusively for the game of cricket. The site features news, articles, live coverage of cricket matches (including liveblogs and scorecards), and ''StatsGuru'', a d ...

or Wisden may require free registration for access.''

External links

CricketArchive tour itinerary
{{DEFAULTSORT:MCC tour of Australia in 1946-47 1946 in Australian cricket 1946 in English cricket 1947 in Australian cricket 1947 in English cricket Australian cricket seasons from 1945–46 to 1969–70 English cricket tours of Australia International cricket competitions from 1945–46 to 1960 Australia 1946-47

Traveling to Australia

Northam and Country Districts vs MCC

Western Australia Colts vs MCC

Western Australia vs MCC

Western Australia Combined XI vs MCC

South Australia Country vs MCC

South Australia vs MCC

Victoria vs MCC

Australian XI vs MCC

New South Wales vs MCC

Queensland vs MCC

First Test – Brisbane

Queensland Country vs MCC

Second Test – Sydney

Northern New South Wales vs MCC

Southern New South Wales vs MCC

Victoria Country vs MCC

Third Test – Melbourne

Tasmania Combined XI vs MCC

Tasmania vs MCC

South Australia vs MCC

Fourth Test – Adelaide

Victoria Country vs MCC

Victoria vs MCC

New South Wales vs MCC

Fifth Test – Sydney

First Class Tour Averages

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links