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Australian cricket team The Australia men's national cricket team represents Australia in men's international cricket. As the joint oldest team in Test cricket history, playing in the first ever Test match in 1877, the team also plays One-Day International (ODI) a ...
in England in 1948 is famous for being the only Test match side to play an entire tour of England without losing a match. This feat earned them the nickname of "The Invincibles", and they are regarded as one of the greatest
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 ...
teams of all time. According to the
Australian federal government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...
, the team "is one of Australia's most cherished sporting legends". The team was captained by
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 be ...
, who was making his fourth and final tour of England. Including five Test matches, Australia played a total of 34 matches, of which 31 were first-class, between 28 April and 18 September. Two of the non-first-class matches were played in Scotland. They had a busy schedule, with 112 days of play scheduled in 144 days, meaning that they often played every day of the week except Sunday. Their record in the first-class games was 23 won and 8 drawn; in all matches, they won 25 and drew 9; many of the victories were by large margins. They won the Test series 4–0 with one draw. The strength of the Australian team was based around its formidable batting line-up, which included Bradman,
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
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 ...
,
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. ...
and
Sid Barnes Sidney George Barnes (5 June 1916 – 16 December 1973) was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13  Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Aust ...
, and the hostile fast bowling of
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 leag ...
,
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 ...
and Bill Johnston. Due to the popularity of Bradman, generally regarded as the greatest batsman of all time, and the fact that he had announced that it was his farewell international tour, the Australians were greeted with much fanfare across the country, and many records for match attendances were broken. The record for Test attendance at a match in England was broken three times: in the Second,
Third 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) * Hi ...
and Fourth Tests, and stands to this day.


Touring party

* Keith Johnson (manager) * Donald Bradman (captain) ( information) *
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 ...
(vice-captain) ( information) *
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 leag ...
( information) *
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 ...
( information) *
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 f ...
( information) *
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. ...
( information) * Bill Brown ( information) *
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 ...
( information) * Don Tallon (wicket-keeper) ( information) *
Sid Barnes Sidney George Barnes (5 June 1916 – 16 December 1973) was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13  Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Aust ...
( information) * Ian Johnson ( information) * Bill Johnston ( information) *
Ernie Toshack Ernest Raymond Herbert Toshack (8 December 1914 – 11 May 2003) was an Australian cricketer who played in 12 Test cricket, Tests from 1946 to 1948. A left arm fast bowling, medium paced bowling (cricket), bowler known for his accuracy and sta ...
( information) * Doug Ring ( information) *
Ron Hamence Ronald Arthur Hamence (25 November 1915 – 24 March 2010) was a cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. A short and compact right-handed batsman, Hamence excelled in getting forward to drive and had an array of attractive bac ...
( information) *
Colin McCool Colin Leslie McCool (9 December 1916 – 5 April 1986) was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Test cricket, Test matches between 1946 and 1950. McCool, born in Paddington, New South Wales, was an all-rounder who bowled leg spin and go ...
( information) *
Ron Saggers Ronald Arthur Saggers (15 May 1917 – 17 March 1987) was an Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales cricket team, New South Wales. He played briefly for the Australian cricket team, Australian team, playing six Test cricket, Tests b ...
(wicket-keeper) ( information)


Significance

The 1948 Australian team has great significance in cricket history, as it is the only side to tour England unbeaten, earning the sobriquet "The Invincibles". The tour was captain Donald Bradman's last Test series, and the immediate postwar team was the most successful that Bradman appeared in. It has been claimed that English cricket suffered more heavily from the effects of World War II than the Australians. Even so, various commentators have rated the 1948 Australians as one of the best cricket teams ever, and it is often compared to other great outfits such as the 1902 Australian touring team,
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 ...
's Australian side of just after World War I, the West Indies team of the 1980s and the Australian team of the 1990s and 2000s. This was not a view shared by
Jack Fingleton John Henry Webb Fingleton, (28 April 190822 November 1981) was an Australian cricketer, journalist and commentator. The son of Australian politician James Fingleton, he was known for his dour defensive approach as a batsman, scoring five Test ...
, Bradman's batting rival from the 1930s, who wrote 'the 1948 Australian side to England, side that some critics, ignoring the apparent lack of strength in English cricket that season, dubbed the "best Australian team ever" – which was just moonshine. Yorkshire almost beat the Australians of 1948, but his view is very much in the minority. The high regard with which The Invincibles are held in the annals of Australian and world cricket is reflected in the various honours accorded to the players. Bradman, Lindwall and Miller were among the ten inaugural inductees into the
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame is a part of the Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum in the Australian Sports Museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. This hall of fame commemorates the greatest Australian cricketers of all time, ...
in 1996. Hassett, Morris and Harvey were later inducted, so that 20% of the inductees are from the 1948 team. Of these six, all except Hassett were selected in Australia's Team of the Century, with Bradman as captain and Miller his deputy. Bradman, Lindwall, Miller and Harvey are among a group of only 14 Australians in a total of 60 players who have been inducted into the International Cricket Council's Hall of Fame. In ''The Ten Greatest Test Teams'' by
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 ...
(with Norman Miller), ten teams were compared by a computer, and the 1948 Australians emerged second behind the 1984 West Indians. Graveney strongly disagreed with the result, writing 'there has not been a better team in my lifetime than
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 be ...
's Australian tourists of 1948'.p170,
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 ...
with Norman Miller, ''The Ten Greatest Test Teams'', Sidgwick and Jackson, London
The computer regarded
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 f ...
as a member of the team as he played more Tests in the series than
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. ...
; if Harvey had been picked, the Australians would have been the superior team. The three Queensland players selected in the touring party— Don Tallon, Bill Brown, and
Colin McCool Colin Leslie McCool (9 December 1916 – 5 April 1986) was an Australian cricketer who played in 14 Test cricket, Test matches between 1946 and 1950. McCool, born in Paddington, New South Wales, was an all-rounder who bowled leg spin and go ...
—were all from
Toombul District Cricket Club Toombul District Cricket Club is an Australian cricket club based in Nundah, Queensland, in the city of Brisbane. Overview The Toombul District Cricket Club (Toombul DCC or simply TDCC) is a Queensland Cricket Association cricket club which c ...
.


Preparations

Since the resumption of cricket following World War II, Australia had played 11 Tests and had been unbeaten. In 1946–47, they won the five-Test series against England 3–0, and followed this with a 4–0 series win over India in the following season. Australia were regarded as an extremely strong team in the lead-up to the tour of England, and their captain Donald Bradman publicly expressed his desire to achieve the unprecedented feat of going through the five-month tour without defeat.Perry (2000), pp. 221–225. The committee that selected the touring party was Bradman, Jack Ryder and
Chappie Dwyer Edmund Alfred Dwyer (19 October 1894 – 10 September 1975), known as Chappie Dwyer, was an Australian cricketer and national selector. Dwyer was born in Mosman, Sydney and played for the New South Wales cricket team for three first-class crick ...
. They held their final meeting on Wednesday 11 February and announced the team that day.Harte and Whimpress, p. 404. The team was chosen with a dual emphasis on strong batting and fast bowling. This was in large part because England had agreed to make a new ball available after 55 six-ball overs in the Tests; a new ball was generally taken after every 200 runs, which usually takes more than 55 overs to accumulate, the rule change meant that a new ball was more frequently available. A new ball is more helpful to fast bowling, so this move favoured the team with the better pace attack, in this case Australia. Australia had injury concerns to key players ahead of the tour. Chronic knee injuries had begun to hamper medium-pacer Toshack, and he only made the trip after a 3–2 vote by a medical panel, despite being one of the first players chosen by the selectors on cricketing merit.Pollard (1990), p. 6. Leading paceman Lindwall had been playing with an injured leg tendon. In addition, his foot drag during the delivery stride led to speculation about the legality of his bowling action. The injury was worked on ahead of the tour, while Bradman advised Lindwall on how to rectify any suspicion over his bowling action. The Australian captain advised his bowler to ensure that his foot was further behind the
line Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Art ...
than usual to avoid being no-balled, and to operate below full speed until the umpires were satisfied.Perry (2001), p. 222.Fingleton, p. 42. Bradman's counsel was effective, as Lindwall did not have a no-ball problem during the tour.
Bill Jeanes Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pla ...
, who was secretary of the Australian Board of Control and had managed the previous Australian tour of England in 1938, was offered the job of managing the 1948 team, but he turned it down. Jeanes had become increasingly unpopular among the players because of an approach that cricket historian
Gideon Haigh Gideon Clifford Jeffrey Davidson Haigh (born 29 December 1965) is an English-born Australian journalist and non-fiction author who writes about sport (especially cricket), business and crime in Australia. He was born in London, was raised in Ge ...
has called "increasingly officious and liverish". He was replaced by Keith Johnson, the New South Wales delegate to the Australian Board of Control. Johnson had previously managed the Australian Services team—which included
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 ...
and
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 ...
—in the
Victory Tests The Victory Tests were a series of cricket matches played in England from 19 May to 22 August 1945, between a combined Australian Services XI and an English national side. The first match began less than two weeks after the end of World War I ...
that took place in 1945 at the conclusion of the Second World War in Europe.


Warm-up matches in Australia

Before they sailed for England, Australia played three warm-up matches. The first two were two-day games against Tasmania in
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-smalle ...
and at the Northern Tasmanian Cricket Association Ground, Launceston; the third was a three-day match against Western Australia in
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 ...
. In Hobart, Australia scored 538/5 declared, with centuries by Barnes, Hassett and Harvey in reply to 122. Using a mixture of pace and spin, they reduced Tasmania to 186/7 when time ran out. In Launceston, Australia won by an innings and 49 runs. Toshack took 5/24 as Tasmania fell for 123. Australia then scored 288 before five bowlers shared the wickets as Tasmania fell for just 116, Barnes taking 3/1. Four days later, on Saturday 13 March, the Australians were at the
WACA Ground The WACA (formally the WACA Ground) is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. The stadium's name derives from the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association. The WACA has been referred to as Wester ...
where they found a tougher test from Western Australia. Western Australia scored 348 as Wally Langdon made 112, while five bowlers took two wickets each. Australia replied with 442/7 declared, including 115 apiece by Morris and Bradman. Western Australia only had time to reach 62/3 and the game was drawn. The match attracted a total crowd of 30,500.


Voyage and stopover in Ceylon

The team set sail on board from Fremantle on Friday 19 March. En route to England, the Australians berthed in Colombo where they played a one-day single-innings match—not limited overs—against the Ceylon national team at the Colombo Oval. The local newspaper ''The Islander'' ran a headline of "Bradman Will Definitely Play" and this guaranteed a crowd of more than 20,000.Harte and Whimpress, p. 405. Australia batted first and became suspicious about the pitch as the morning went on. At lunch, Ian Johnson demanded that the pitch be measured and it was found to be only long. After that, the bowlers delivered from two yards behind the crease. Australia made 184/8 declared (Barnes 49, Miller 46) before a monsoon ended the match with Ceylon at 46/2 in reply. The party docked at Tilbury on Friday 16 April to a resounding welcome. Bradman announced the delivery of 17,000 food parcels as a gift to the British people from the State of Victoria. Great Britain was still in the throes of rationing and post-war austerity.


Popularity

Despite Australia's ruthless on-field dominance and a succession of one-sided victories, the touring team drew unprecedented levels of spectator and media interest. Bradman's dominant cricketing stature was a key factor in his team's popularity with the public, especially as it was known that it would be his last international campaign. A leading cricket writer of the time, R. C. Robertson-Glasgow, said "we want him to do well. We feel we have a share in him. He is more than Australian. He is a world batsman."Haigh and Frith, p. 101. The Australian journalist Andy Flanagan said that "cities, towns and hotels are beflagged, carpets set down, and dignitaries wait to extend an official welcome. He is the Prince of Cricketers." Writing later, Haigh opined that "perhaps no touring cricketer ... has been as feted as Bradman in that northern summer". Bradman received hundreds of personal letters every day, and one of his dinner speeches was broadcast live, causing the
British Broadcasting Corporation #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
to postpone the news bulletin. Of Bradman's retirement, Robertson-Glasgow said in the 1949 '' Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'': "... a miracle has been removed from among us ... So must ancient Italy have felt when she heard of the death of Hannibal." As a team, the Australians were greeted by record crowds and gate receipts across the country, even when wet weather curtailed the matches.Perry (2005), p. 226. The record attendance for a Test match in England was broken three times, in the Second Test at Lord's, 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) * Hi ...
at Old Trafford, and 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 Headin ...
. The 158,000 spectators that watched the proceedings at Headingley remain a record for a Test on English soil. Off the field, the Australians were inundated with requests for social functions, including appointments with government officials and members of the royal family, and they had to juggle a plethora of off-field engagements, with 112 days of scheduled cricket in the space of 144 days. Three-day matches were often held consecutively with only the traditional Sunday rest day, although their dominance ended several matches prematurely and earned them extra rest days. Team manager Keith Johnson, the only administrator in the touring party, was flooded with phone calls and letters.Bradman, p. 233. Bradman later said he was worried that Johnson's tireless work would cause health problems and that "it was the tribute to a bulldog determination to see the job through". Wisden said "Indebtedness for the smooth running of the tour and general harmony of the team was due largely to the manager, Mr Keith Johnson, hard-working and always genial ... Paying tribute to the loyalty of the players, Mr Johnson said there had not been a discordant note in the party throughout the tour."''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (1949), p. 211. Bradman said that "no side could have wished for a better manager".


Bradman's role

Bradman's position as a selector gave him more power than previous Australian captains, who did not have an explicit vote in team selection. This was further magnified by Bradman being a member of the Board of Control while still an active player, a threefold combination that he alone has occupied in Australian cricket history.Haigh and Frith, p. 100. According to Haigh, he "was the dominant figure in Australian cricket", and an "unimpeachable figure". At the age of 40, Bradman was by four years the oldest player on the team; three-quarters of his team were 32 or younger, and some viewed him as a father figure. Bradman wrote that this was the most personally fulfilling period of his playing days, as the divisiveness of the 1930s had passed. He wrote: However, some players expressed displeasure at Bradman's ruthless obsession towards annihilating the opposition. Miller deliberately allowed himself to be bowled first ball for a duck in a protest against Australia's world record of 721 runs in one day against
Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Gr ...
. He also deplored Bradman's hard-nosed attitude in fixtures nominally designated as "festival matches". Feeling that Bradman was needlessly batting Australia far beyond impregnability, Miller played with reckless aggression, rather than a measured style in line with his captain's aim of remaining undefeated.Perry (2005), pp. 250–255. Bradman's letters in later life, published posthumously, revealed his hostility towards Miller.
Sid Barnes Sidney George Barnes (5 June 1916 – 16 December 1973) was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13  Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to open the innings or bat down the order, Barnes was regarded as one of Aust ...
later criticised Bradman for his reluctance to allow
Ron Hamence Ronald Arthur Hamence (25 November 1915 – 24 March 2010) was a cricketer who played for South Australia and Australia. A short and compact right-handed batsman, Hamence excelled in getting forward to drive and had an array of attractive bac ...
—one of the reserve batsmen—to partake in meaningful matchplay due to captain's reluctance to risk Australia's unbeaten run.Barnes, p. 180.


Roles and strategy

As matches often started the day after the previous fixture, sometimes amounting to six days of cricket a week—Sunday was always a rest day—Australia employed a rotation policy in order to allow the players to recuperate, except for the Tests and matches against Worcestershire, the Marylebone Cricket Club and the Leveson-Gower's XI, when they chose their strongest team. As a result, no member of the squad—Bradman included—played in more than 23 of the first-class matches. Thus, the vice-captain Hassett led the Australians in nine tour matches while Bradman was rested, and maintained the unbeaten run in all of them. ''
Wisden ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
'' opined that "in addition to his playing ability Hassett's cheerfulness and leadership, which extended to off-the-field relaxation as well as in the more exacting part of the programme, combined to make him an ideal vice-captain able to lift a considerable load off Bradman's busy shoulders". Likewise, the batting was regularly rotated. The three openers Barnes, Morris and Brown took turns sitting out, while the middle-order was changed frequently and the wicket-keeping duties divided between Tallon and Saggers. Australia's bowling attack was led by Lindwall and Miller, who took the new ball in the Tests. Bradman used the pair in short and fiery bursts with the new ball. English cricket administrators had agreed to make a new ball available every 55 overs; at the time, the norm was to allow a new ball for every 200 runs scored, something that usually took longer than 55 overs. The new regulation played directly into the hands of the Australians, as a new ball is ideal for fast bowling and the tourists had a vastly superior pace attack. Bradman thus wanted to preserve his two first-choice pacemen for a vigorous attack on the English batsmen every 55 overs.Perry (2005), pp. 222–223. As a result, Australia's third fast bowler Bill Johnston bowled the most overs, and the left arm seamer
Ernie Toshack Ernest Raymond Herbert Toshack (8 December 1914 – 11 May 2003) was an Australian cricketer who played in 12 Test cricket, Tests from 1946 to 1948. A left arm fast bowling, medium paced bowling (cricket), bowler known for his accuracy and sta ...
also had a heavy workload until a knee injury ended his campaign. The new ball rule also meant that
spin bowling Spin bowling is a bowling technique in cricket, in which the ball is delivered slowly but with the potential to deviate sharply after bouncing. The bowler is referred to as a spinner. Purpose The main aim of spin bowling is to bowl the crick ...
was less effective in the Tests, so Australia only used one full-time spinner in the Tests,
off spin Off spin is a type of finger spin bowling in cricket. A bowler who uses this technique is called an off spinner. Off spinners are right-handed spin bowlers who use their fingers to spin the ball. Their normal delivery is an off break, which spi ...
ner Johnson, until his omission in favour of
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 Ring. Together they took only eight wickets. Things were different in the county matches. As Bradman wanted to keep Lindwall and Miller fresh for the Tests, he generally gave them a lighter workload against the weaker opposition in the county matches, and the three spinners Ring, Johnson and McCool did more of the work, especially as the 55-over rule did not apply outside the Tests. Ring did the second-most bowling outside the Tests, despite not being in Bradman's first-choice team. Bradman even used Hamence, a reserve batsman, to open the bowling at times, in order to rest his bowlers, and in the second match against Yorkshire, decided to bat for an extended period instead of going for a win, so that his bowlers could recuperate.


Ashes Test matches

The five-
Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
Ashes series 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 ...
was won convincingly by Australia 4–0. England was captained by
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 c ...
and their batting was strong on paper, the first four in the order generally being Len Hutton,
Cyril Washbrook Cyril Washbrook (6 December 1914 – 27 April 1999) was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire and England. He had a long career, split by World War II, and ending when he was aged 44. Washbrook, who is most famous for opening the b ...
,
Bill Edrich William John Edrich (26 March 1916 – 24 April 1986) was a first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Norfolk and England. Edrich's three brothers, Brian, Eric and Geoff, and also his cousin, John, all pla ...
and
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 ...
. They were supported by the likes of Joe Hardstaff, Jr.,
Tom Dollery Tom Dollery (14 October 1914 – 20 January 1987) was an English cricketer, who played for the England cricket team and Warwickshire County Cricket Club. Life and career Horace Edgar Dollery was born in Reading, Berkshire, and educated at Readi ...
, Charlie Barnett,
Jack Crapp John Frederick Crapp (14 October 1912 – 13 February 1981), was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1936 and 1956, and played for England on tour in the winter of 1948–49. Cricket writer, ...
,
John Dewes John Gordon Dewes (11 October 1926 – 12 May 2015) was an English cricketer, who played for Cambridge University and Middlesex, and was chosen for five Test matches between 1948 and 1950. Life and career Dewes was a protégé of E. J. H. Na ...
,
Allan Watkins Albert John "Allan" Watkins (21 April 1922 – 3 August 2011) was a Welsh cricketer, who played for England in fifteen Tests from 1948 to 1952. Life and career Born in Usk, Monmouthshire, Allan Watkins made his debut for Glamorgan just three ...
, Yardley and wicket-keeper Godfrey Evans. However, they found the fast bowling trio of Lindwall, Miller and Johnston—supported by the medium pace of Toshack—a real handful, especially with the 55-over new ball rule. Lindwall and Miller were groundbreaking fast bowlers, with high pace and the ability to deliver menacing short-pitched bowling at the upper body of the batsmen. Prior to World War II, pace bowlers were generally much slower and rarely bowled at the body. England were yet to develop similar bowlers, and as a result, Australia were able to pepper the upper body of the opposition without fear of retaliation. At one stage, the Australian short-pitched barrage prompted the English selectors to drop leading batsman Hutton, something that provoked great controversy. Lindwall and Johnston dominated the home batsmen and took 27 wickets apiece, at averages of 19.62 and 23.33 respectively, while the injury-prone Miller took 13 at 23.15. For England, the batsman emerging with most credit was Compton, who scored 562 runs at 62.44. Washbrook (356 runs at 50.85) was the only other player to average beyond 45. In contrast, Australia's batsmen had relatively little difficulty against the hosts' attack. England's bowling was largely reliant on
Alec Bedser Sir Alec Victor Bedser (4 July 1918 – 4 April 2010) was a professional English cricketer, primarily a medium-fast bowler. He is widely regarded as one of the best English cricketers of the 20th century. Bedser played first-class cricket fo ...
and against a powerful Australian batting line-up he managed only 18 wickets at 38.22.
Alec Coxon Alexander Coxon (18 January 1916 – 22 January 2006) was an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire. He also played one Test match for England in 1948. Life and career Coxon was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire. World War II delayed Coxon's ...
,
Dick Pollard Richard Pollard (19 June 1912 – 16 December 1985) was an English cricketer born in Westhoughton, Lancashire, who played in four Test matches between 1946 and 1948. A fast-medium right-arm bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman who mad ...
, Edrich, Barnett and Yardley provided his seam support.
Jim Laker James Charles Laker (9 February 1922 – 23 April 1986) was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club from 1946 to 1959 and represented England in 46 Test matches. He was born in Shipley, West Riding of Yo ...
, Jack Young, Eric Hollies and Doug Wright were the spinners in action. Bedser was the only English bowler to take more than nine wickets. Morris led the runscoring and century-making with 696 runs at 87.00 and three triple-figure scores, supported by Bradman (508 at 72.57) and Barnes (329 at 82.25). With the first three batsmen in such form, Australia regularly made strong starts to their innings, averaging more than 120 for their first two wickets. The resounding Australian victories gave the England selectors many problems as they sought to find a combination that could challenge the tourists' superiority. As a result, England used 21 players in all, while Australia only used 15, one of which was forced by injury. Australia had ten players who competed in four or more Tests, while England only had seven such players.


First Test

Since the Second World War, Australia had played 11 Tests and had been unbeaten. In 1946–47, they won the five-Test series against England 3–0, and followed this with a 4–0 series win over India in the following season. Australia were regarded as an extremely strong team in the lead-up to the tour of England, and Bradman publicly expressed his desire to achieve the unprecedented feat of going through the five-month tour without defeat. Prior to the First Test, Australia had played 12 first-class matches, winning ten and drawing two. Eight of the victories were by an innings, and another was by eight wickets. It was thought that Bradman would play Ring, but he changed his mind on the first morning of the First Test when rain was forecast. Johnston was played in the hope of exploiting a wet wicket and he amply rewarded his captain by taking the most wickets of any bowler in the match. Yardley won the toss and elected to bat. The first innings set the pattern of the series as the England top-order struggled against Australia's pace attack. Only twenty minutes of play was possible before the
lunch break A break at work (or work-break) is a period of time during a shift in which an employee is allowed to take time off from their job. It is a type of downtime. There are different types of breaks, and depending on the length and the employer' ...
due to inclement weather, but it was enough for Miller to
bowl A bowl is a typically round dish or container generally used for preparing, serving, or consuming food. The interior of a bowl is characteristically shaped like a spherical cap, with the edges and the bottom forming a seamless curve. This makes ...
Hutton. During the interval, heavy rain made the ball skid through upon resumption. Washbrook was caught attempting to hook Lindwall. At 15/2, Compton came in, and together with Edrich, they took the score to 46 before left arm paceman Johnston bowled the latter. Two balls later, Johnston removed Hardstaff without scoring, leaving England at 46/4. Two runs later, Compton was bowled by Miller and half the English team were out with only 48 runs on the board. Lindwall was forced to leave the field mid-innings due to a groin injury and did not bowl again.Pollard (1990), p. 9. Johnston bowled Barnett and when Evans and Yardley were both dismissed with the score on 74, England only had two wickets left. Laker and Bedser scored more than half of England's total, adding 89 runs in only 73 minutes. Both fell within two runs, ending England's innings at 165. Laker top-scored with 63. Johnston ended with 5/36, a display characterised with accuracy and variations in pace and
swing Swing or swinging may refer to: Apparatus * Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth * Pendulum, an object that swings * Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus * Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse * Swing ri ...
. Miller took 3/38 and a catch. Australia's openers Morris and Barnes successfully negotiated the new ball by Edrich and Bedser to reach stumps with 17 without loss after 15 minutes. Ideal batting conditions greeted the players on the second day. Barnes and Morris took the score to 73 before Laker removed Morris. Bradman came in and the score progressed to 121 before Barnes was caught by wicket-keeper Evans with a one-handed diving effort for 62. Miller was then dismissed for a duck by Laker.Perry (2000), p. 235. Australia scored slowly, as Yardley employed leg theory to slow the scoring. Brown came in at No. 5, but he had played most of his career as an
opening batsman In cricket, the batting order is the sequence in which batters play through their team's innings, there always being two batters taking part at any one time. All eleven players in a team are required to bat if the innings is completed (i.e., if ...
and appeared uncomfortable before falling for 24. Hassett came in and Australia reached stumps at 293/4, a lead of 128. Bradman reached his 28th Test century in over 210 minutes, with the last 29 runs taking 70 minutes. It was one of his slower innings as Yardley focused on stopping runs. On the third morning, Bradman added only eight before falling for 138 when he leg glanced an
inswinger An inswinger is a type of delivery of the ball in the sport of cricket. In such a delivery the ball curves—or "swings"—in toward the batter's body and the wicket. By contrast, an outswinger swings away from the line of the batter and the wi ...
from Bedser to Hutton at short fine leg. Johnson and Tallon came and went, failing to pass 21. The scoring was slow during this passage of play—Young delivered 11 consecutive maiden overs. Lindwall came out to bat at 365/7 and he added 107 runs with Hassett for the eighth wicket. Hassett reached his century and proceeded to 137 in almost six hours of batting. Both fell in quick succession, but Australia's last-wicket pair of Johnston and Toshack wagged a further 33 runs in only 18 minutes before Bedser ended the innings on 509, leaving the tourists with a 344-run lead. Yardley placed the majority of the bowling load on his spinners, with Young (1/79) and Laker (4/138) bowling 60 and 55 overs respectively. Bedser bowled 44.2 overs, taking 3/113. At the start of England's second innings, Washbrook and Edrich fell early, leaving England at 39/2. This brought together England's leading batsmen, Hutton and Compton, who took the score to 121 without further loss by stumps on the third day. Miller battled with Hutton and Compton through the afternoon, delivering five bouncers in the last over of the day. One of these struck Hutton high on his left arm. The batsmen survived, but Miller received a hostile reaction from the crowd. The English had the better of the late afternoon period, scoring 82 runs together in 70 minutes. Hutton resumed on 63 and he and Compton progressed before the light deteriorated and a thunderstorm stopped proceedings. Shortly after the resumption, Miller bowled Hutton with an
off cutter An off cutter is a type of delivery in the game of cricket. It is bowled by fast bowlers. A bowler releases a normal fast delivery with the wrist locked in position and the first two fingers positioned on top of the cricket ball, giving it spi ...
in the dark conditions, ending a 111-run partnership at 150/3. The innings was then repeatedly interrupted by poor light. ''Wisden'' opined that "rarely can a Test Match have been played under such appalling conditions as on this day". Hardstaff supported Compton in a partnership of 93 before being removed by Toshack, and Barnett followed soon after at 264/5. Compton brought up his third consecutive century at Trent Bridge, aided by a 57-run partnership with his captain before Johnston dismissed Yardley for 22. England reached stumps at 345/6, just one run ahead, with Compton on 154. Compton and Evans continued to resist the Australians on the final morning, which was briefly interrupted twice by rain. After the resumption, Compton was out hit wicket for 184 after attempting to hook Miller. He had batted for 413 minutes and hit 19 fours. ''Wisden'' opined that "No praise could be too high for the manner in which Compton carried the side's responsibilities and defied a first-class attack in such trying circumstances". Compton's fall at 405/7 exposed the bowlers and Australia quickly finished off the innings within half an hour. England finished at 441, leaving Australia a target of 98. Lindwall's absence meant that the remaining four frontline bowlers had to bowl more than 32 overs each—Johnston bowled 59 and ended with 4/147 while Miller took 4/125 from 44 overs. Australia progressed steadily to 38 before Bedser bowled Morris for nine and then dismissed Bradman for a duck, again caught by Hutton at short fine leg. This left Australia 48/2. Hassett joined Barnes and they reached the target without further loss. Barnes ended on 64 with 11 boundaries.


Second Test

Australia retained the same XI from the First Test at Trent Bridge. On the other hand, England made three changes; the leg spinner Wright had regained fitness and replaced the left arm orthodox of Young,
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 ...
Coxon made his Test debut in place of Barnett and Dollery replaced Hardstaff as the No. 5. batsman. Following his injury in the previous Test, Lindwall was subjected to a thorough fitness test on the first morning and was only included after protesting to Bradman, who gambled on his inclusion. Australia won the toss and elected to bat.Perry (2001), p. 233. Miller played, but was unfit to bowl.Perry (2000), p. 239. Barnes fell for a duck, and Morris and Bradman rebuilt the innings, slowly taking the score to 87 before Bradman was caught for the third consecutive time by Hutton in the leg trap off Bedser. In the meantime, Morris, after a slow start, made 105 runs out of a total of 166 scored while he was at the wicket, including 14 fours and one six. His innings was noted for powerful, well-placed cover drives. His dismissal left Australia at 166/3, quickly followed by Miller, left Australia at 173/4. Hassett and Brown rebuilt the innings slowly, taking more than three and half minutes on average for each run. Hassett was dropped three times before Yardley removed him and Brown in the space of nine runs to leave Australia 225/6. Johnson fell soon after and England were well placed when Australia ended the day on 258/7. Australia's lower order batted the tourists into control on the second morning. Tallon batted on, supported by Johnston and Toshack, who scored their highest Test scores. Australia's wicket-keeper put on 45 with Johnston—who scored 29. Toshack then joined Johnston and the last pair put on 30 more runs before Johnston fell. Bedser was the most successful of the bowlers, ending with 4/100 from 43 overs, while debutant Coxon took 2/90 from 35 overs. Lindwall took the new ball and felt pain in his groin again after delivering his first ball.Perry (2001), p. 223. He persevered through the pain and removed Washbrook in his fourth over. Hutton then fell to Johnson to leave England at 32/2. Lindwall then clean bowled Edrich before doing the same to Dollery for a duck two balls later. England were 46/4 and Australia were firmly in control. Compton was joined by his skipper Yardley and the pair rebuilt the innings, scoring 87 runs together in 100 minutes. After the
tea break Tea culture is defined by the way tea is made and consumed, by the way the people interact with tea, and by the aesthetics surrounding tea drinking. Tea plays an important role in some countries. It is commonly consumed at social events, and ...
, Lindwall and Johnston returned with the new ball. Compton edged Johnston to be out for 53. One run later, Lindwall bowled Yardley to leave England at 134/6 with their skipper dismissed for 44. Johnson then removed Evans for nine, before Coxon and Laker added 41 for the eighth wicket. After 85 minutes of resistance, Johnston removed both. England's last pair added ten runs to close at stumps on 9/207. On the third morning, Lindwall removed Bedser, ending England's innings at 215, giving Australia a 135 first innings lead. Lindwall ended with 5/70. The weather was fine as Australia started their second innings. Barnes was given an early life and he took advantage to combine with Morris in an opening
stand Stand or The Stand may refer to: * To assume the upright position of standing * Forest stand, a group of trees * Area of seating in a stadium, such as bleachers * Stand (cricket), a relationship between two players * Stand (drill pipe), 2 or 3 j ...
of 122 before Morris was bowled for 62. Bradman joined Barnes at the crease and they amassed 174 runs for the second wicket. Barnes accelerated after reaching his half-century. Once he reached his century, Barnes became particularly aggressive. He dispatched one Laker over for 21 runs, including two successive sixes before finally falling for 141, caught on the boundary from Yardley. He had struck 14 boundaries and two sixes in his innings. The speed of his batting had allowed Australia to be 296/2 after 277 minutes when he departed. Hassett was bowled first ball, so Miller came to the crease at 296/3 to face Yardley's hat-trick ball. Miller survived a loud leg before wicket appeal on the hat-trick ball. Bradman fell to Bedser again, this time for 89. Brown joined Miller at 329/4 and Australia reached stumps at 343, without further loss. After the rest day, the fourth morning was punctuated by three rain stoppages. In 88 minutes of play, Australia added a further 117 runs. Brown was caught behind from Coxon for 32 after an 87-run partnership with Miller, who was out for 74, followed by Lindwall for 25. Bradman declared with Australia at 460/7, 595 runs ahead.Perry (2000), p. 241. Yardley and Laker had been the only multiple wicket-takers, with two each. Further showers breathed extra life into the pitch, and Lindwall and Johnston extracted steep bounce with the new ball, troubling the English batsmen. Hutton was dropped before he had scored and played and missed multiple times. Hutton and Washbrook took the score to 42, before Hutton edged Lindwall and was out for 13. Toshack removed Edrich and Washbrook in quick succession to leave England at 65/3. However, Compton and Dollery added 41 to have England close at 106/3. The final day started poorly for England, with Compton being caught off Johnston from the second ball of the day. Yardley and Dollery took the score to 133 before Toshack took two wickets in the same over. Eight runs later, Dollery was bowled from a Lindwall bouncer that stayed low. Lindwall bowled Laker for a duck later in the same over to leave England at 141/8. England were bowled out for 186, ceding a 409-run victory. Toshack ended the innings with 5/40, while Lindwall and Johnston took three and two respectively. The gross attendance was 132,000 and receipts were £43,000 – a record for a Test in England.Allen, pp. 136–137.


Third Test

When the teams reconvened at Old Trafford for the Third Test, Hutton had been dropped. The reason was said to be Hutton's struggles with Lindwall's short-pitched bowling.Perry (2001), p. 224. The omission generated considerable controversy. and the Australians were pleased, feeling that Hutton was England's best batsman. Hutton's opening position was taken by debutant Emmett. England made three further changes. Young and Pollard replaced Wright and Laker in the bowling department. Coxon was replaced by debutant batsman
Jack Crapp John Frederick Crapp (14 October 1912 – 13 February 1981), was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1936 and 1956, and played for England on tour in the winter of 1948–49. Cricket writer, ...
. Australia dropped Brown, who had scored 73 runs at 24.33 in three innings, for the all rounder Loxton. Yardley won the toss and elected to bat. The change in England's opening pair did not result in better results. A run out was narrowly avoided from the first ball, and Washbrook and Emmett appeared to be uncomfortable on a surface that helped the bowlers. Both fell early, leaving England 28/2. Edrich eschewed attacking strokeplay as he and Compton attempted to establish themselves. Compton attempted to hook a Lindwall bouncer, but edged it into his face. This forced him to leave the field with a bloodied eyebrow with the score at 33/2. Edrich and Crapp then engaged in grim defensive batting, resulting in one 25-minute period where only one run was added. They reached lunch at 57/2. Upon the resumption, Crapp accelerated, hitting a six and three boundaries from Johnson. Australia took the new ball and Lindwall trapped Crapp lbw for 37. Dollery then fell for one. England had lost two wickets for one run to be 97/4. After 170 minutes of slow batting, Edrich fell to Lindwall. At 119/5, Compton returned to the field, his wound having been stitched. Yardley fell for 22 with the score at 141/6, bringing Evans to the crease. Compton and Evans added 75 runs, before Lindwall removed the latter to leave England at 216/7. England resumed on the second day at 231/7 and Australia was unable to break through with the new ball. Bedser defied the Australians for 145 minutes, adding 37 and featuring in a 121-run partnership with Compton. Soon after, Pollard pulled a ball from Johnson into the ribs of Barnes, who was standing at short leg, forcing him into hospital. The last two wickets fell and England were bowled out for 363. Compton was unbeaten on 145 in 324 minutes of batting, having struck 16 fours. Lindwall took 4/99 and Johnston 3/67. Barnes's injury left Australia with only Morris as a specialist opener. Johnson was deployed as Australia's makeshift second opener, but made only one, and Bradman fell for seven to leave Australia at 13/2. Morris and Hassett rebuilt the innings, adding 69 for the third wicket in 101 minutes before Hassett fell. Miller joined Morris and they took the score to 126/3 at stumps. Australia had added only nine runs on the third morning when Miller fell for 31. Four runs later, Morris fell for 51, leaving Australia 139/5. Barnes came in, despite having collapsed in the nets due to the lingering effects of the blow to his chest. He made a painful single before the pain forced him back to hospital. Tallon and Loxton added a further 43 before Tallon fell. Lindwall came into bat at 172/6 with Australia facing the prospect of the
follow on In the game of cricket, a team who batted second and scored significantly fewer runs than the team who batted first may be forced to follow-on: to take their second innings immediately after their first. The follow-on can be enforced by the team ...
. Loxton and Lindwall added a further 36 before the former was bowled, leaving Australia 208/7, five runs behind the follow-on mark. Johnston helped Lindwall advance Australia beyond the follow on before Bedser removed both and Australia were bowled out for 221, giving England a lead of 142 runs. During his innings, Lindwall was given a series of bouncers by Edrich. One of the short-pitched balls hit Lindwall in the hand, evoking cheers from the crowd. Bedser and Pollard were the most successful bowlers, taking 4/81 and 3/53 respectively. Lindwall removed Emmett for a duck at the start of the second innings, bringing his tormentor Edrich to the crease. Lindwall did not bounce Edrich, but Miller did, earning the ire of the crowd.Perry (2005), p. 243. Edrich and Washbrook settled and put together a 124-run partnership in only 138 minutes. This was aided three dropped catches from Washbrook. Edrich struck eight boundaries and brought up his fifty with a six, but was immediately run out by Morris with a direct hit. Crapp joined Washbrook and helped see off the new ball, as England reached 174/3 at the close, with Washbrook unbeaten on 85. The rest day was followed by the fourth day, which was abandoned due to persistent rain. Yardley declared at the start of the fifth day, leaving Australia a victory target of 317, but the rain meant that the entire first session was lost. The tourists batted in a defensive manner to ensure a draw. They ended at 92/1 in 61 overs. Morris finished unbeaten on 54, his fourth consecutive half-century of the Test series. The attendance of 133,740 exceeded the previous Test.


Fourth Test

Australia made two changes for the Test. Harvey replaced the injured Barnes, while Saggers replaced the injured Tallon behind the stumps.Lemmon, p. 103. England made three changes. Emmett was dropped and Hutton was recalled to take his opening position. Laker replaced his left arm finger spinning colleague Young. Dollery, who had made only 38 in three innings, was replaced by all-rounder Cranston. England won the toss and elected to bat on an ideal batting pitch. Hutton and Washbrook put on an opening partnership of 168, the best by England in the series. Washbrook refrained from the
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 ...
, which had caused him to lose his wicket on earlier occasions in the series. The partnership was ended when Hutton was bowled by Lindwall. Washbrook reached his century and joined by Edrich, the pair batted until late in the first day, when Washbrook was dismissed by Johnston for 143 in the last over of the day. His innings had included 22 boundaries and ended a second-wicket partnership that yielded exactly 100 runs. Bedser was sent in as the nightwatchman and survived as England closed at 268/2, with Edrich on 41. The next day, Bedser batted on in steady support of Edrich. The pair saw England to lunch without further loss, and 155 runs were added for the third wicket before Bedser was out after almost three hours of batting for 79. Bedser had struck eight fours and two sixes. Edrich fell three runs later at 426/4 for 111. With two new batsmen at the crease, Australia quickly made further inroads to leave England at 473/6. Loxton then successively removed Cranston, Evans and Laker as England fell from 486/6 to 496/9, before Miller bowled Yardley to end England's innings at 496. The home team had lost their last eight wickets for the addition of 73 runs. Loxton took 3/55 while Lindwall and Johnson both took two. Australia lost the services of Toshack after he broke down with a knee injury. With Barnes injured, Hassett was moved from the middle order to open the innings with Morris. Morris fell for six, before Bradman and Hassett saw the tourists to stumps at 63/1. Bradman did the majority of the scoring, finishing unbeaten on 31. On the third morning, England made the ideal start when Pollard removed Hassett for 13 and Bradman for 33 in the same over. This left Australia struggling at 68/3. Harvey, playing his first Ashes Test, joined Miller at the crease. Australia were more than 400 behind and Harvey told his senior partner "Let's get stuck into 'em".Perry (2005), p. 245. If England were to remove the pair, they would expose Australia's lower order and give themselves an opportunity to win by taking a substantial lead. The pair launched a counterattack, with Miller taking the lead with many lofted boundaries. This allowed Australia to seize the initiative, with Harvey joining in and hitting consecutive boundaries against Laker. Miller was dismissed by Yardley for 58 while attempting another six,Perry (2005), p. 246. but the partnership had yielded 121 runs in 90 minutes, prompting
Wisden ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'', or simply ''Wisden'', colloquially the Bible of Cricket, is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a ...
to liken it to a "hurricane". Harvey then shared another century stand with Loxton which yielded 105 in only 95 minutes. Harvey ended with 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 his Ashes debut, scoring 112 from 183 balls in an innings noted for powerful driving on both sides of the wicket. The high rate of scoring during the innings freed the match from England's firm control.Cashman et al., pp. 174–175. Loxton was particularly severe on Laker, lifting his deliveries into the crowd for five sixes in addition to nine fours.Perry (2000), p. 247. At the other end, Harvey and Johnson fell to Laker in quick succession to leave the score at 329/6. Australia was still some way behind when Lindwall replaced Johnson, and 15 runs later, Yardley bowled Loxton for 93, while Saggers only managed five, leaving Australia at 355/8 with only Johnston and Toshack remaining. Lindwall hit out, scoring 77 in an innings marked by powerful driving and pulling,Pollard (1990), p. 14. dominating stands of 48 and 55 with Johnston and Toshack respectively. He was the last man out at 458, leaving Australia 38 runs in arrears on the first innings. Bedser took the final wicket to end with 3/92. Laker took 3/113, while Pollard and Yardley ended with two wickets each. England set about extending their first innings lead for the remainder of the fourth day. For the second time in the match, Washbrook and Hutton put on a century opening partnership. Washbrook made 65 and Hutton 57, leaving England at 129/2. Edrich and Compton continued where the openers had left off, adding 103 before Lindwall trapped Edrich lbw for 54. England lost wickets at regular intervals late in the day to be 278/6. When Johnston removed Compton for 66, England were 7/293 with no recognised batsmen remaining, having lost 4/33. Wicket-keeper Evans led a rearguard action as England reached 362/8 at the close of the fourth day. England batted on for five minutes on the final morning, adding three runs in two overs before Yardley declared at 365/8, with Evans on 47
not out In cricket, a batter is not out if they come out to bat in an innings and have not been dismissed by the end of an innings. The batter is also ''not out'' while their innings is still in progress. Occurrence At least one batter is not out at th ...
. Johnston had the pick of the bowling figures, with 4/95. Batting into the final day allowed Yardley to ask the groundsman to use a
heavy roller The roller is an agricultural tool used for flattening land or breaking up large clumps of soil, especially after ploughing or disc harrowing. Typically, rollers are pulled by tractors or, prior to mechanisation, a team of animals such as horses ...
, which would help to break up the wicket and make the surface more likely to spin. This left Australia a target of 404 runs for victory. At the time, this would have been the highest ever fourth innings score to result in a Test victory for the batting side. Australia had only 345 minutes to reach the target, and the local press wrote them off, predicting that they would be dismissed by lunchtime on a deteriorating wicket expected to favor the spin bowlers. Morris and Hassett started slowly on a pitch that offered spin and bounce. Only 44 runs came in the first hour. Just 13 runs were added in the next 28 minutes before Hassett was dismissed by Compton's
left arm unorthodox spin Left may refer to: Music * ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006 * ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016 * "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996 Direction * Left (direction), the relative direction opposite of right * L ...
for 17 with the score at 57. Bradman joined Morris with 347 runs needed in 257 minutes and they began to attack; Morris hit three consecutive fours off Len Hutton's bowling as Australia reached lunch at 121/1.Pollard (1990), p. 15. In the half-hour preceding the interval, Australia had added 64 runs. Both had given chances, but England fumbled them. Upon resumption, Morris severely attacked Compton, who had been bowling in an attempt to exploit the spin, aided by a series of full tosses and long hops that were easily dispatched for runs. This prompted Yardley to take the new ball. Australia reached 202, halfway to the required total, with 165 minutes left. Morris passed his century, and was then dropped on 126. Bradman was given another life at 108 when Evans missed a stumping opportunity. Australia reached tea at 288/1 with Morris on 150. The pair had added 167 during the session. Morris was eventually dismissed by Yardley for 182, having partnered Bradman in a stand of 301 in 217 minutes. He struck 33 fours in 290 minutes of batting. This brought Miller to the crease with 46 runs still required. He fell with eight runs still needed. Harvey came in and got off the mark with a boundary that brought up the winning runs. Australia had won by seven wickets, setting a new world record for the highest successful Test run-chase, with Bradman unbeaten on 173 in only 255 minutes with 29 fours.Perry (2001), pp. 84–89. The attendance of 158,000 was the highest for any cricket match on English soil and the takings were 34,000 pounds. The attendance remains a record for a Test in England.''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (2007), p. 505.


Fifth Test

With the series already lost, England made four changes to their team. Dewes replaced the injured Washbrook, while Watkins replaced Cranston as an all-rounder. Both Dewes and Watkins were making their Test debut. England played two spinners; Young replaced fellow finger spinner Laker, while the leg spin of Hollies replaced Pollard's pace. The selectors were widely condemned for their incessant changes. Australia made three changes. Off spinner Johnson was replaced by the leg spin of Ring. Australia's second change was forced on them; the injured seamer Toshack was replaced by the recovered batsman Barnes. The final change was the return of wicket-keeper Tallon from injury. The match saw Lindwall at his best. English skipper Yardley won the toss and elected to bat on a rain-affected pitch. Precipitation during the week meant that the start of the Test was delayed until the afternoon. The humid conditions, along with the rain, assisted the bowlers, with Lindwall in particular managing to make the ball bounce at variable heights. Miller bowled Dewes for one with his second ball to leave England at 2/1, before Johnston removed Edrich for three to leave England at 10/2. Lindwall dismissed Compton after Morris had taken a diving catch, and Miller then removed Crapp, who failed to score in his 23-ball innings, leaving England at 23/4.Perry (2006), p. 250. After the lunch break, England had struggled to 35/4, before Lindwall bowled Yardley with a swinging yorker. The debutant Watkins then batted for 16 balls without scoring before Johnston dismissed him for a duck to leave England at 42/6. Watkins also collected a bruise on the shoulder that inhibited his bowling later in the match. Lindwall then removed Evans, Bedser and Young, all yorked in the space of two runs. The innings ended at 52 when Hutton leg glanced and was caught by wicket-keeper Tallon, who grasped the ball one-handed at full stretch to his left. In his post-lunch spell, Lindwall bowled 8.1 overs, taking five wickets for eight runs, finishing with 6/20 in 16.1 overs. Bradman described the spell as "the most devastating and one of the fastest I ever saw in Test cricket".Perry (2001), p. 225. Hutton was the only batsman to resist, scoring 30 in 124 minutes from 147 deliveries. No other player passed seven. Miller and Johnston took 2/5 and 2/20 respectively, and Ring was not needed to bowl. In contrast, Australia batted with apparent ease, and Morris and Barnes passed England's first innings total by themselves. The score had reached 117 before Barnes fell to Hollies for 61, ending a partnership that had taken only 126 minutes. This brought Bradman to the crease late on the first day. As Bradman had announced that the tour was his last at international level, the innings would be his last at Test level if Australia batted only once. The crowd gave him a standing ovation as he walked out to bat. Yardley led his team in giving Bradman three cheers. With 6996 Test career runs, he only needed four runs to average 100 in Test cricket, but Hollies bowled him second ball for a duck with a
googly In the game of cricket, a googly refers to a type of delivery bowled by a right-arm leg spin bowler. It is different from the normal delivery for a leg-spin bowler in that it is turning the other way. The googly is ''not'' a variation of the ...
. Hassett came in at 117/2 and Australia closed at 153/2. Morris was unbeaten on 77. On the second morning, Hassett and Morris took the score to 226 before their 109-run stand ended with Hassett's fall for 37. The following four batsmen were unable to establish themselves at the crease and none passed 20. Morris was finally removed for 196, ending an innings noted for his hooking and off-driving; it took a run out to remove Morris. Australia were eventually out for 389. Morris had scored more than half the runs as the rest of the team struggled against the
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 ...
of Hollies, who took 5/131. England had relied heavily on spin; two-thirds of the overs were delivered by the two spinners. England started their second innings 337 runs in arrears. Lindwall made the early breakthrough, and Edrich joined Hutton and the pair consolidated the innings to close at the end of the second day on 54/1. Early on the third day, Lindwall bowled Edrich for 28, before Compton and Hutton consolidated the innings with a partnership of 61 in 110 minutes. On 39, Compton fell to a reflex catch by Lindwall. Hutton managed to continue resisting before edging Miller to Tallon for 64, having top-scored in both innings, to leave England at 153/4. Thereafter, England collapsed in the fading light, prompting the umpires to call off play. The ground was then hit by rain, resulting in a premature end to the day's play. England had lost four wickets for 25 runs to end at 178/7. England resumed on the fourth morning and Johnston quickly removed the last three wickets to seal an Australian victory by an innings and 149 runs. Johnston ended with 4/40 and Lindwall 3/50. This result sealed the series 4–0 in favour of Australia. The match was followed by a series of congratulatory speeches.


Other matches in Great Britain


v Worcestershire

:;At
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
, 28, 29, 30 April. Worcestershire (233 and 212) lost to the Australians (462/8 declared) by an innings and 17 runs. The pitch was slow, and the weather was cold and showery for the traditional tour opener against Worcestershire. Worcester attracted a record attendance of 32,000 with takings of more than £4000. The hosts elected to bat, and started strongly as a century second-wicket stand took them to 137/1 after 133 minutes. However, the dismissal of Charles Palmer, who top-scored with 85, precipitated a collapse and they lost their last nine wickets in two hours to be all out for 233. Five Australian bowlers shared the wickets, with Johnson taking 3/52. In their sole innings, Australia took the initiative from the outset through a 166-run second-wicket stand between Morris (138) and Bradman (107). This took them to 265/1, before they declared at 462/8 after Miller had hit an unbeaten 50 in faster than even time. Off spinner Peter Jackson took 6/135 for the locals. In their second innings Worcestershire were bowled out by Australia for 212 runs, with 70 minutes to spare. McCool took 4/29 as the spinners took eight of the wickets.


v Leicestershire

:;At Leicester, 1, 3, 4 May. The Australians (448) defeated Leicestershire (130 and 147) by an innings and 171 runs. Australia elected to bat, and Miller, who had been promoted to No. 3, shared century partnerships with Barnes (78) and Bradman (81). A middle-order collapse then ensued as the remaining Australians struggled against the local spin attack, but last man Johnston managed to hold up his end in a 37-run last-wicket partnership that allowed Miller to reach his double century. He ended on 202 not out as Australia were dismissed for 448. The Australian-born slow bowler Vic Jackson was the best Leicestershire bowler, taking 5/91. Leicestershire scored only 130 in their first innings; another Australian expatriate, Jack Walsh, top-scored with 33. Ring took 5/34 and the hosts hampered their batting efforts with two run outs. Australia enforced the follow on and Leicestershire faced the prospect of being bowled out twice in a day after Johnson took the first wickets to have them 5/83. After a rain delay Australia took the final five wickets for 34 runs in an hour on the final day; Leicestershire were all out for 147 in an innings defeat. Johnson ended with 7/42.


v Yorkshire

:;At
Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...
, 5, 6 May. Yorkshire (71 and 89) lost to the Australians (101 and 63/6) by four wickets. This low-scoring game was the closest that Australia came to defeat on the tour. The game was played in cold, blustery, overcast and wet conditions that suited spin bowlers. Yorkshire made only 71 in their first innings. Miller mixed medium-paced off-breaks with his fast bowling and this combination returned him 6/42. At the other end Johnston bowled his
left arm orthodox spin 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 ...
and took 4/22 from 26 overs. Together the pair bowled almost unchanged, delivering 49.3 of 54.3 overs. Australia struggled in reply and stumps were called when they fell to 4/38. Miller came in at the start of the second day's play and scored 34 of the next 48 runs added, before falling at 7/86, part of a collapse of 5/27. He hit two sixes in his innings, including one from the first ball that he faced, feeling that a defensive strategy would be almost impossible in the difficult conditions. Australia ended at 101, and Loxton was unable to bat due to injury. Frank Smailes had the best bowling figures for Yorkshire, 6/51. Yorkshire scored 89 in their second innings, which followed a similar pattern to their first effort. Wickets fell steadily as Johnston (6/18) and Miller (3/49) bowled 31.2 of the 36.2 overs. Australia were set a target of 60 runs for victory, and Hassett elected to not have the pitch rolled. Former Australian Test batsman
Jack Fingleton John Henry Webb Fingleton, (28 April 190822 November 1981) was an Australian cricketer, journalist and commentator. The son of Australian politician James Fingleton, he was known for his dour defensive approach as a batsman, scoring five Test ...
said that Hassett "might have made an initial mistake in not having the pitch rolled because whenever there was rain about in England the heavy roller seemed to knock any nonsense rratic bounce and sideways movementout of the pitch".Fingleton, pp. 53–58. Hassett and Hamence both fell with the score on 20 to leave Australia five down.Fingleton, p. 55. Australia slumped to 6/31, effectively seven down with Loxton incapacitated by injury, but scraped home without further loss with Harvey and Tallon at the crease. Harvey was given two chances, once when he was on one, and Tallon was also missed. It would have been their first defeat against an English county since 1912, but Harvey won the game with a straight drive over the fence.''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (1949), pp. 218–219. Wickets had fallen at less than 10 runs apiece, and at the rate of every four overs.


v Surrey

:;At The Oval, 8, 10, 11 May. The Australians (632) defeated Surrey (141 and 195) by an innings and 296 runs. Australia won the toss and Barnes and Morris put on 136 for the opening stand before the latter fell for 65. Barnes and Bradman then added 207 for the second wicket. Barnes' 176 came in 255 minutes and Bradman made 146 in 165 minutes. After Bradman departed at 403/3, wickets began to fall more regularly, but Hassett held up his end and made 110, while Tallon remained unbeaten on 50. Surrey's Test paceman
Alec Bedser Sir Alec Victor Bedser (4 July 1918 – 4 April 2010) was a professional English cricketer, primarily a medium-fast bowler. He is widely regarded as one of the best English cricketers of the 20th century. Bedser played first-class cricket fo ...
took 4/104. On the second afternoon, Surrey scored 141 runs in three hours in their first innings. Johnson took 5/53 and
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 ...
carried his bat for 81 not out, but received little support, the next highest scores being 15 and 10. Australia enforced the follow on and took two early wickets before stumps on the second day. They made continual inroads on the final day, and Surrey were all out for 195 to complete an innings win. Johnston took 4/40 and Johnson 3/40.


v Cambridge University

:;At
Fenner's Fenner's is Cambridge University Cricket Club's ground. History Cambridge University Cricket Club had previously played at two grounds in Cambridge, the University Ground and Parker's Piece. In 1846, Francis Fenner leased a former cherry orchar ...
, Cambridge, 12, 13, 14 May.
Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
(167 and 196) lost to the Australians (414/4 declared) by an innings and 51 runs. Cambridge elected to bat and wickets fell regularly. No player made over 33 and the hosts were out in the second session of the first day for 167. Miller was prominent with the ball and in the field, taking 5/46 and two catches for his fellow bowlers. In reply, Australia were already 184/1 at stumps, with Brown heading for a consecutive century. He put on 176 for the second wicket with Hamence, who made 92. Brown reached 200 and was out immediately thereafter, prompting stand-in skipper Hassett to declare midway through the second day at 414/4, having reached 61 not out himself. In their second innings Cambridge failed to cope with the leg-spin of McCool, who took 7/78 as the match ended early on the third morning. Attendance over the three days was nearly 25,000.


v Essex

:;At Southend, 15, 17 May. The Australians (721) defeated
Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Gr ...
(83 and 187) by an innings and 451 runs. After electing to bat, Australia made history on the first day by breaking the record for the most runs scored in a first-class match in a day. Ironically, it was the only time they were dismissed in a single day on the entire tour. With centuries from Brown (153), Bradman (187), Loxton (120) and Saggers (104*), Australia's first innings totalled 721; they were dismissed on the close of the first day's play. Bradman's 187 came in 155 minutes and Brown's 153 lasted three hours; the pair put on 219 in 90 minutes after Barnes fell for 79 at 145/1. Bradman came in and seized the initiative, reaching 42 in the 20 minutes before lunch, including five fours from one over by
Frank Vigar Frank Henry Vigar (14 July 1917 – 31 May 2004) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Essex County Cricket Club between 1938 and 1954. A right-handed batsman, and leg break bowler, Vigar served as an all-rounder with 8,858 ...
which subsequently entered Essex club folklore. Bradman and Brown were parted when the latter fell at 364/2 only halfway through the day's play. Miller then famously deliberately allowed himself to be bowled first ball as a protest against Australia's merciless crushing of their hosts, something that angered his captain and batting partner Bradman.Fingleton, pp. 65–67.Mallett, p. 69. Miller later told Dickie Bird that he had wanted to go to the local
horse races 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 ...
, but this was refused by Bradman. The all rounder therefore made his duck in protest, but still did not get to go to the races. Later, Loxton and Saggers made 166 in 65 minutes for the sixth wicket, before a late-order collapse saw Australia lose 5/57, leaving Saggers unbeaten, but not before he reached the only first-class century of his career. After being demoralised by the Australian batsmen on the first day, Essex made only 83 in their first innings, capitulating within 37 overs. Toshack took 5/31 and Miller 3/14, and Australia enforced the follow-on. Essex's second innings appeared to be heading the same way when four early wickets to Johnson had them at 46/6. However, a partnership of 133 between Tom Pearce and Peter Smith for the seventh wicket salvaged some respectability before they were out for 187. Johnson ended with 6/37 as the Australians dismissed their hosts twice in a single day. The ground attendance of 32,000 was a record.


v Oxford University

:;At Oxford, 19, 20, 21 May. The Australians (431) defeated Oxford University (185 and 156) by an innings and 90 runs. Australia batted first after Hassett won the toss, and the opening pair of Brown and Morris put on 139. Brown scored his third century in succession, before being out lbw to Indian Test player
Abdul Hafeez Kardar Abdul Hafeez Kardar PP, HI ( ur, ) (17 January 1925 – 21 April 1996) was a Pakistani cricketer, politician and diplomat. He was the first captain of the Pakistan cricket team. He is one of the only three players to have played Test crick ...
for 108. Morris, Loxton, McCool and Ring all reached 50 as the Australians posted 431. Oxford's best batting performance came in the form of a 75-run partnership between
Geoffrey Keighley William Geoffrey Keighley OAM (10 January 1925 – 14 June 2005) was an English barrister, businessman, first-class cricketer, farmer, grazier and legislator. Keighley was born in Nice, France. His family had business interests in Bradford, ...
and Kardar in their first innings, resisting the spin bowlers on the dry wicket. Despite Kardar's innings of 54 and 29, the top-score in both innings, Australia won by an innings and 90 runs as wickets fell steadily. The wickets were spread evenly among the tourists; Toshack took three in each innings, while Johnston and McCool totalled four for the match.


v Marylebone Cricket Club

:;At Lord's, 22, 24, 25 May. The Australians (552) defeated Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) (189 and 205) by an innings and 158 runs. The MCC fielded seven players who would represent England in the Tests, and with two other capped players, were basically a full strength Test team, as were Australia, who fielded their first-choice team. Barring one change in the bowling department, the same team lined up for Australia in the First Test, with the top six batsmen in the same position. It was a chance to gain a psychological advantage. After winning the toss, Australia batted first. After the loss of Morris early, Barnes (81) and Bradman (98) set about regaining the ascendancy with a 160-run stand. Bradman scored eleven fours in his 98, which took two hours, and Hassett then took over and added 51. Miller then saw Australia to stumps at 407/5. He continued the next day and Australia's highest scorer with 163, and Johnson supported him with 80. Despite a collapse which saw the last five wickets fall for 54 runs following the pair's departure, Australia reached 552. Bradman's batsmen gained a psychological advantage ahead of the Tests by attacking the
off spin Off spin is a type of finger spin bowling in cricket. A bowler who uses this technique is called an off spinner. Off spinners are right-handed spin bowlers who use their fingers to spin the ball. Their normal delivery is an off break, which spi ...
of
Jim Laker James Charles Laker (9 February 1922 – 23 April 1986) was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey County Cricket Club from 1946 to 1959 and represented England in 46 Test matches. He was born in Shipley, West Riding of Yo ...
. They hit nine sixes from the English Test representative on the second morning. Miller and Lindwall then sought to gain an advantage over England's leading batsmen—Hutton and Compton—before the Tests. The MCC side, composed almost entirely of Test players, reached 91/2, Toshack removed Compton and Hutton in quick succession to reduce the hosts to 104/5. He took three more wickets to end with 6/51 as the MCC were eventually dismissed for 189, conceding a first innings lead of 363 runs. Some English observers decried Toshack's leg stump attack as being negative,Fingleton, p. 74. but former Australian Test batsman
Jack Fingleton John Henry Webb Fingleton, (28 April 190822 November 1981) was an Australian cricketer, journalist and commentator. The son of Australian politician James Fingleton, he was known for his dour defensive approach as a batsman, scoring five Test ...
said that Toshack's line was close enough to leg stump that most balls had to be played. Bradman opted to enforce the follow on, and his spinners did most of the damage, McCool taking 4/35 and Johnson 3/37. Only Len Hutton of the locals batsmen passed 26 during the match, scoring 52 and 64, and Australia had taken a key psychological victory ahead of the Tests with an innings victory. The total attendance was 60,000.


v Lancashire

:;At Manchester, 26, 27, 28 May. The Australians (204 and 259/4) drew with Lancashire (182). The first day was abandoned due to rain. Australia lost the toss and were sent in to bat on a drying pitch. The 19-year-old Lancashire spin bowler
Malcolm Hilton Malcolm Jameson Hilton (2 August 1928 – 8 July 1990) was an English left-arm spin bowler, who played for Lancashire and in four Test matches for England. Cricket writer, Colin Bateman, stated, "he was the best slow left-arm bowler Lancas ...
took Bradman's wicket twice in the match, causing a media sensation. Hilton bowled Bradman with an
arm ball In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between the ...
for 11, the Australian captain's first score on tour below 80. The Australian batsmen failed to capitalise on their starts as six were dismissed between 20 and 40. Australia looked set to concede a lead for the first time on tour as the hosts reached 3/129, but Johnston (5/49) took five of the last seven wickets for 28 runs in Lancashire's only innings, which ended on the third morning. With a result impossible, Australia had time for batting practice. Bradman reached 43, and when Hilton came on, the Australian captain, perhaps perturbed by earlier events, attempted to hit the spinner out of the attack. After missing the first two balls, Bradman charged the third, swung and missed, fell over and was stumped. Harvey (76*) and Hamence (49*) shared an unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership of 122 after Loxton made 52.


v Nottinghamshire

:;At Nottingham, 29, 31 May 1 June. Nottinghamshire (179 and 299/8) drew with the Australians (400). In Nottinghamshire's first innings, Ray Lindwall took 6/14 from 15.1 overs, with only 10 scoring strokes being made off him.
Reg Simpson Reginald Thomas Simpson (27 February 1920 – 22 November 2013) was an English cricketer, who played in 27 Test matches from 1948 to 1955. Life and career Born in Sherwood, Nottingham, England, Simpson attended Nottingham High School. At th ...
made 74 and Joe Hardstaff junior 48, but only one other batsman reached double figures. After their 98-run third-wicket stand was broken, Australia took 8/68 to bowl the hosts out for 179. Lindwall, conceded less than a run per over. Only ten of his balls were scored from and not a single run was taken from his last 30 balls. Fingleton said that Lindwall "absolutely paralysed" the batsmen, with some of his bowling "in the real Larwood manner". Australia only batted once, and Brown top-scored with 122 in 3 hours 45 minutes, while Bradman added 86. The Australia middle-order fell away and the tourists lost their last six wickets for 74 runs. In the county's second innings, Keeton was hit in the chest by one of Lindwall's deliveries and took no further part in the match. On the final day, Hardstaff hit the first century against the Australians on the tour, 107, and Simpson again batted well, making 70. Lindwall and the Australian pacemen were less incisive in the second innings, and Ring and Johnson took four and three wickets respectively.


v Hampshire

:;At Southampton, 2, 3, 4 June. Hampshire (195 and 103) lost to the Australians (117 and 182/2) by eight wickets. Hampshire won the toss and elected to bat against the Australians, who were led by Hassett while Bradman rested. The Australians were behind on the first innings for the first time on the tour and the match remained in the balance until the third afternoon. On a drying pitch, the hosts reached 116/3 before losing their remaining wickets for 79 to be all out for 195, while Johnston took 6/74. In reply, Australia fared worse and collapsed from 2/70 and made only 117.
Charles Knott Charles James Knott (26 November 1914 – 27 February 2003) was an English first-class cricketer. Knott was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off-break and right-arm medium pace. Early life Knott was born in Southampton and educate ...
's off spin proved challenging for the Australians, but Miller scored three successive sixes from him before the collapse, top-scoring with 39. In their second innings, both Miller and Johnston took five Hampshire wickets. John Arnold top-scored for the hosts in both innings, with 48 and 42. Australia needed 182 runs in 175 minutes to win. Barnes went for a duck but Johnson, sent in five minutes before lunch, hit 74 out of a second-wicket partnership of 105, including three sixes and seven fours. Brown, with 81 not out, and Hassett saw the Australians through to victory.''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (1949), pp. 226–227.


v Sussex

:;At Hove, 5, 7 June. Sussex (86 and 138) lost to the Australians (549/5 declared) by an innings and 325 runs. Lindwall won the match for the Australians with his bowling, taking 11/59. After winning the toss, the Sussex batsmen struggled with his length and variation of pace, and he hit the off-stump five times in the first innings alone to end with 6/34. Loxton also bowled well in the first innings, taking 3/13. Australia replied to Sussex's 86 strongly, and were already 254/1 by the end of the first day. Powered by Morris's 184 and with centuries too for Bradman (109) and Harvey (100*), Australia added a further 295 runs on the second day to declare at 549/5. They then still had time to send down 63.3 overs, enough to finish the match within two days. In Sussex's second innings Lindwall took two wickets in the first over. Harry Parks made 61, but Sussex were all out for 138, losing their last seven wickets for 59. In all, eight of Lindwall's wickets were bowled, five these by swinging yorkers, the batsmen unable to counter the swerving deliveries. Fingleton said that "Lindwall bundled the stumps over in all directions" as Sussex "crumpled completely ... in as depressing a batting performance as the tour knew".Fingleton, p. 79. At the other end, Toshack helped to pin down the batsmen for Lindwall. He delivered 17 overs that yielded only three scoring shots for a total of six runs.


v Northamptonshire

:;At
Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England ...
, 16, 17, 18 June. Northamptonshire (119 and 169) lost to the Australians (352/8 declared) by an innings and 64 runs. Starting the day after the First Test, the Northamptonshire match was interrupted by rain. Northamptonshire batted first and collapsed to 7/61 before some tail-end resistance took them to 119; Johnston and Johnson took three wickets each. The Australians passed the locals' score on the first afternoon, and their innings was built around Hassett's 127, which included 17 fours. Morris and McCool also made fifties. Northamptonshire made 169 runs in their second innings, Johnston and Ring taking four wickets each. In neither of the county innings did any player reach 50.


v Yorkshire

:;At Sheffield, 19, 21, 22 June. The Australians (249 and 285/5 declared) drew with Yorkshire (206 and 85/4). The Australians were made to work hard for their 249, with only Bradman reaching 50. Harvey and Hamence passed 40 but could not convert their starts into large scores.
Alec Coxon Alexander Coxon (18 January 1916 – 22 January 2006) was an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire. He also played one Test match for England in 1948. Life and career Coxon was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire. World War II delayed Coxon's ...
took 4/66 for the hosts and was selected for the Second Test. Yorkshire made 206 in reply, Toshack taking 7/81 and Johnston 3/101: together, they bowled 81.1 of the 90.1 overs in the innings. Like the Australians, the local batsmen struggled to make the most of their starts; eight batsmen reached double figures but none passed 40. Not wanting to tire his bowlers ahead of the Second Test, Bradman declared Australia's second innings with a lead of 328 runs and only seventy minutes of play remaining. Brown hit 113 and Bradman himself 86, putting on 154 for the second wicket.''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (1949), pp. 233–234. Yardley expressed his displeasure by bowling his part-timers and then promoting tailenders to the upper half of the order in the second innings. The Australians batted in leisurely fashion with no urgency to force a result. Bradman then allowed his second-string bowlers to deliver 24 of the 27 overs as the match petered into a draw. The Australians were booed from the field by the spectators.Fingleton, p. 195.


v Surrey

:;At The Oval, 30 June, 1–2 July. Surrey (221 and 289) lost to The Australians (389 and 122/0) by 10 wickets. Australia won the toss and sent Surrey in to bat. They made 221, and Jack Parker top-scored with 76 in an uneven effort in which there were six single-figure scores. As the match started the day after the Second Test, Bradman let most of his second-string bowlers do the work to rest his first-choice bowlers, and Ring took three wickets, while the Test players only took two in total. Hamence opened the batting for Australia—Brown injured a finger while fielding—but he was out for a duck. Hassett (139) and Bradman (128) then put on 231, Bradman making his sixth century of the tour. However, the Australians lost wickets steadily thereafter to be all out for 389. Surrey made 289 in their second innings, with McCool taking 6/113 after bowling more than 40% of the overs. The hosts batted steadily with three fifties, but wickets fell regularly and only one partnership greater than 40 materialised. The tourists wanted to finish the run-chase quickly so they could watch fellow Australian
John Bromwich John Edward Bromwich (14 November 1918 – 21 October 1999) was an Australian tennis player who, along with fellow countryman Vivian McGrath, was one of the first great players to use a two-handed backhand. He was a natural left-hander, thoug ...
play in the
Wimbledon tennis The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London, since 1877 and is play ...
final. Harvey and Loxton volunteered and chased down the 122 runs needed for victory in just 58 minutes to complete a 10-wicket win in just 20.1 overs. Harvey ended unbeaten on 73 and the Australians arrived at Wimbledon in time.


v Gloucestershire

:;At
Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
, 3, 5, 6 July. The Australians (774/7 declared) defeated Gloucestershire (279 and 132) by an innings and 363 runs. The Australians elected to bat and made the highest score of the tour, and it was also the second biggest score by an Australian team in England ( the 1893 team made 843 against a "Oxford and Cambridge Universities Past and Present" at Portsmouth), and the highest score by an Australian team versus an English county. Morris's 290, made from 466 balls in five hours, was the highest individual score of the tour, and he featured in century stands with Barnes, Miller and Harvey. Loxton made 159 not out, Harvey 95 and McCool 76. This match preceded the Third Test, and
off spin Off spin is a type of finger spin bowling in cricket. A bowler who uses this technique is called an off spinner. Off spinners are right-handed spin bowlers who use their fingers to spin the ball. Their normal delivery is an off break, which spi ...
ner
Tom Goddard Thomas William John Goddard (1 October 1900 – 22 May 1966) was an English cricketer and the fifth-highest wicket taker in first-class cricket. Biography Born 1 October 1900 in Gloucester, Goddard joined Gloucestershire in 1922 as a fast bo ...
was regarded as a candidate for England selection after strong performances in
county cricket Inter-county cricket matches are known to have been played since the early 18th century, involving teams that are representative of the historic counties of England and Wales. Since the late 19th century, there have been two county championship ...
. However, Morris and Loxton's aggressive attack gave Goddard figures of 0/186 from 32 overs, effectively ending his chances of selection. Former English Test paceman Maurice Tate said "Tom oddardis not used to batsmen using their feet to him ... the county batsmen diddle and diddle huffle about indecisively instead of quickly moving into position and attackingto him and that gets him many wickets." Instead, it was Loxton who forced his way into the Third Test. Gloucestershire replied with an innings of 279, in which
Jack Crapp John Frederick Crapp (14 October 1912 – 13 February 1981), was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1936 and 1956, and played for England on tour in the winter of 1948–49. Cricket writer, ...
made 100 not out, while Johnson took 6/68. Made to follow on during the final day, the hosts made only 132, losing their last eight wickets for 60. Johnson took 5/32 to end with 11/100 for the match, while Ring took 5/47 to end with seven for the match. Australia's spinners took 19 wickets.''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (1949), pp. 238–239.


v Middlesex

:;At Lord's, 17, 19, 20 July.
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbouri ...
(203 and 135) lost to the Australians (317 and 22/0) by ten wickets.
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 ...
hit a cautious 62, but Middlesex lost wickets regularly to fall from 1/78 to 203 all out. Five bowlers shared the wickets, Johnston and Loxton taking three apiece. At one stage, Australia were 53/3, but Morris (109) and Loxton (123) put on a partnership of 172. No other batsman bettered Hamence's 30, and
Jim Sims James Morton Sims (13 May 1903 – 27 April 1973) was an English cricketer. Jim Sims represented Middlesex in 381 first-class matches between 1929 and 1952 as a right-handed batsman and off-break bowler who scored 7173 runs (highest score 1 ...
took 6/65 as the Australians collapsed and lost their last six wickets for 46. Middlesex scored 135 in their second innings, with only
John Dewes John Gordon Dewes (11 October 1926 – 12 May 2015) was an English cricketer, who played for Cambridge University and Middlesex, and was chosen for five Test matches between 1948 and 1950. Life and career Dewes was a protégé of E. J. H. Na ...
(51) and
Leslie Compton Leslie Harry Compton (12 September 1912 – 27 December 1984) was an English sportsman who played football and cricket for Arsenal and Middlesex, respectively. He gained two England caps late in his football career, and remains the oldest outf ...
resisting the tourists, while eight managed only single figures. Five bowlers shared the wickets, and McCool was the only one to take three. McCool and Ring made the 22 required for victory in four overs.


v Derbyshire

:;At Derby, 28, 29, 30 July. The Australians (456) defeated Derbyshire (240 and 182) by an innings and 34 runs. The Australians chose to bat first, and Brown top scored with 140, his first 50 taking three hours. He shared century stands with Bradman, who made 62, and Miller (57). Loxton later made 51 as the Australians fell away late in the innings, losing 7/142. Derbyshire made 240 in their first innings with the future Test umpire
Charlie Elliott Charles Standish Elliott MBE (24 April 1912 – 1 January 2004) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Derbyshire between 1932 and 1953, an international umpire and a part-time footballer. Elliott was born in Bolsover, Derbyshire. ...
top-scoring with 57, while Miller, Johnston and Ring taking three wicket apiece. The county followed on 216 behind after losing their last six wickets for 64 runs. In their second innings they made 182, with Denis Smith making 88, the highest individual score ever made by a Derbyshire player against the Australians. However, only one other player reached double figures, as McCool precipitated a collapse of 9/72, taking 6/77, while Loxton took 3/16. There was a Derbyshire record attendance of 17,000 on the first day.


v Glamorgan

:;At Swansea, 31 July, 2–3 August. Glamorgan (197) drew with the Australians (215/3). Rain prevented play after 3pm on the second day. No one scored more than 40 as Glamorgan elected to bat and made 197, with the four Australian bowlers, Lindwall, Miller, Johnson and Ring sharing the wickets. The Australians' 215/3 was based on an aggressive 84 from Miller, with five sixes and seven fours, and a partnership of 126 with stand-in Hassett, who was 71 not out when the rain came. The attendance on the two days of play totalled 50,000.


v Warwickshire

:;At
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
, 4, 5, 6 August. Warwickshire (138 and 155) lost to the Australians (254 and 41/1) by nine wickets. Bradman put Warwickshire in to bat on a wet pitch and the hosts struggled to 138 in an innings that lasted almost 80 overs. Martin Donnelly (28) was the only batsman to pass 20, and Lindwall and Johnson took three wickets each. Australia scored 254 in reply; Hassett top-scored with 68, Lindwall made 45, and the pair's partnership of 70 was the highest of the match. Three other batsmen reached 30, but most of the Australians were uncomfortable against the leg spin of Eric Hollies, who opened the bowling and took 8/107, the best innings analysis against the Australians on the whole tour. This performance earned the Warwickshire bowler a call-up for the fifth and final Test. In their second innings Warwickshire made 155 runs, Johnston and McCool taking four wickets each, the former conceding only 32 from 39 overs. Australia made the required 41 by lunch on the third day.


v Lancashire

:;At Old Trafford, Manchester, 7, 9, 10 August. The Australians (321 and 265/3 declared) drew with Lancashire (130 and 199/7).
Cyril Washbrook Cyril Washbrook (6 December 1914 – 27 April 1999) was an English cricketer, who played for Lancashire and England. He had a long career, split by World War II, and ending when he was aged 44. Washbrook, who is most famous for opening the b ...
's benefit match brought him a then record sum, £14,000, but it was a mixed experience because he injured his right thumb whilst facing Lindwall and withdrew from the England team for the Fifth Test. The Australians scored 321 in their first innings with only Barnes (67) reaching 50. Nine of the Australians made a start, reaching 14, but could not capitalise on their opportunities, and they lost wickets at regular intervals after an opening stand of 123. The slow left-arm bowler William Roberts took 6/73. Lancashire replied with 130 of which Washbrook made 38, while Lindwall and Johnson took three wickets apiece, but the Australians did not enforce the follow on. Australia made 265/5 declared and Bradman scored an unbeaten 133, his highest at Old Trafford, with 90 for Barnes. Bradman declared at lunch on the third day after batting the hosts out of the match, but they held on with three wickets in hand after losing two late in the day. Ikin had reached 99 after being repeatedly hit by bouncers. Bradman took the second new ball and gave it to Miller, who refused to bowl, saying that he felt Ikin deserved 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 ...
. Lindwall (4/27) was then given the ball and promptly removed Ikin one run short of his century.Perry (2005), p. 249.


v Durham

:;At Sunderland, 11, 12 August. The Australians (282) drew with
Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham * County Durham, an English county *Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...
(73/5). In the absence of the resting Bradman, Hassett won the toss and elected to bat. Attendance was 17,000 on the first day of this two-day non-first-class match. Rain prevented any play on the second day. After a poor start that saw them fall to 22/3, McCool (64) and Miller (55) made half-centuries for the Australians. Many of the Australians made starts and six scores passed 20, but none went on. Paceman
Keith Jackson Keith Max Jackson (October 18, 1928 – January 12, 2018) was an American sports commentator, journalist, author, and radio personality, known for his career with ABC Sports (1966–2006). While he covered a variety of sports over his caree ...
took 5/76 for the hosts. Five Australian bowlers each took one wicket and Jackson top-scored with 23 before rain ended the match.


v Kent

:;At
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of the ...
, 21, 23 August. The Australians (361) defeated Kent (51 and 124) by an innings and 186 runs. Australia elected to bat first and Brown made 106, while Bradman (65) and Harvey (60) both scored half-centuries. Kent collapsed to the lowest score of the tour in the first innings, succumbing in only 23 overs. Johnston and Loxton both took 3/10, and six local batsmen made ducks. Forced to follow on, half the Kent side were out for 45 in the second innings. Tony Pawson and Godfrey Evans added 71, but the match, held in front of record crowds for the ground, ended inside two days, soon after Evans was run out. It took the Australians less than 56 overs to get 20 wickets. Lindwall took 4/37 in the second innings; all his wickets were top-order batsmen.


v Gentlemen of England

:;At Lord's, 25, 26, 27 August. The Australians (610/5 declared) defeated the
Gentlemen of England Cricket, and hence English amateur cricket, probably began in England during the medieval period but the earliest known reference concerns the game being played c.1550 by children on a plot of land at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, Surrey ...
(245 and 284) by an innings and 81 runs. In his last match at Lord's, Bradman won the toss and made his ninth century (150) of the tour against a side composed almost entirely of Test players. Brown (120) and Hassett (200*) also scored centuries, and Miller made 69. Bradman elected to bat into the second day. The Gentlemen responded with 242 of which
Reg Simpson Reginald Thomas Simpson (27 February 1920 – 22 November 2013) was an English cricketer, who played in 27 Test matches from 1948 to 1955. Life and career Born in Sherwood, Nottingham, England, Simpson attended Nottingham High School. At th ...
made 60 and, following on, 284, with
Bill Edrich William John Edrich (26 March 1916 – 24 April 1986) was a first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Norfolk and England. Edrich's three brothers, Brian, Eric and Geoff, and also his cousin, John, all pla ...
making 128. There were no other scores beyond 30 in either innings. Ring took 5/70 for the innings and eight for the match, while Johnson secured seven wickets. The Victorian spin duo bowled the majority of the overs in both innings.


v Somerset

:;At Taunton, 28, 30 August. The Australians (560/5 declared) defeated
Somerset Somerset ( , ; Archaism, archaically Somersetshire , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in South West England which borders Gloucestershire and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east and Devon to the so ...
(115 and 71) by an innings and 374 runs. After winning the toss, the Australians made all their runs on the first day, with centuries for Hassett (103), Harvey (126) and Johnson (113*) and 99 for Hamence. The Australians put on 255 for the second wicket, through Hassett and Barnes, who was replaced by Harvey after retiring ill. The other Australian batsmen had all made centuries, and were keen to see Hamence do the same. The rest of the team left their card games in readiness to applaud his impending milestone, only to see him stumped for 99, his highest score for the season. On the Monday, the second day, on a pitch that was taking spin, Somerset collapsed twice inside four hours and less than 82 overs in total. McCool took 4/21 and 4/23, and Johnston also took eight, including 5/34 in the second innings. He took the last two wickets of the Somerset first innings as a spinner, and then had Harold Gimblett lbw with the second ball of the second innings as a fast-medium bowler to take three wickets in four balls.''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (1949), pp. 256–257.


v South of England

:;At Hastings, 1, 2, 3 September. The Australians (522/7 declared) drew with the South of England (298). The tourists elected to bat and after losing the openers early, Hassett top scored with 151, his third consecutive century. He was supported by Bradman (143) and Harvey (110), whose quick scoring enabled the Australians to declare with a large total. Hassett shared partnerships in excess of 150 with both Bradman and Harvey. Harvey's century took only 90 minutes and Loxton hit 67 in 75 minutes on the second day. The second and third days were continually interrupted by rain, and Compton made 82 in the showers. Bradman gave his regular bowlers a light workload and Brown took 4/16 in 4.1 overs to finish off the tail, the only time he bowled in first-class matches on the entire tour. There was no time left for the second innings.''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (1949), pp. 257–258.


v HDG Leveson-Gower's XI

:;At Scarborough, 8, 9, 10 September. HDG Leveson-Gower's XI (177 and 75/2) drew with the Australians (489/8 declared). This was the final match for Bradman in England, and the ground was crowded despite rain interruptions. It was Australia's biggest challenge in the post-Test tour matches. During the last Australian campaign in 1938, this team was effectively a full-strength England outfit, but this time Bradman insisted that only six current England Test players be allowed to play. Bradman then fielded a full-strength team, with the only difference from the Fifth Test line-up being the inclusion of Johnson at the expense of Ring. The host captain
Walter Robins Robert Walter Vivian Robins (3 June 1906 – 12 December 1968) was an English cricketer and cricket administrator, who played for Cambridge University, Middlesex, and England. A right-handed batsman and right-arm leg-break and googly bowler, ...
won the toss and decided to bat, but Lindwall took 6/59 in an innings that lasted into the second day, bowling four of his victims and taking five of the last six wickets to fall as the hosts lost their last six wickets for 57 runs. Bradman and Barnes made 153 and 151 respectively, sharing a second-wicket partnership of 225 after Morris was out for 62. Loxton hit a ball from Freddie Brown into his own face, breaking his nose. Australia reached 2/407 on the third and final afternoon before collapsing to 8/469 before Bradman declared without attempting to force a result. Leveson-Gower's XI played out time, with Bradman bowling the last over.''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (1949), pp. 258–259.


v Scotland

:;At Edinburgh, 13, 14 September. The Australians (236) defeated Scotland (85 and 111) by an innings and 40 runs. The match against Scotland was a two-day fixture that did not have first-class status. Australia elected to bat and Morris top-scored with 112, and McCool made 52, but all struggled against the leg-spin of William Laidlaw, who took 5/51. The Australians collapsed at the end, losing their last six wickets for 36 runs, and only three made double figures. Scotland collapsed against Johnston and Johnson, who took 6/15 and 3/18 respectively. Forced to follow on, a second innings opening stand of 50 preceded a second collapse, this time Ring and Morris took 4/20 and 5/10. Only three Scottish players passed double figures in either innings.


v Scotland

:;At
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
, 17, 18 September. Scotland (178 and 142) lost to the Australians (407/6 declared) by an innings and 87 runs. In another two-day non-first-class match, Scotland batted better than in Edinburgh after being sent in to bat, but still lost. Tom Crosskey top-scored with 49 in the hosts' 178, before Bradman top-scored with 123 in his last match in Britain and McCool, promoted to open, made 108, while Johnson made 95 after being promoted to No. 5. Scotland then made 142 in some light-hearted cricket in which wicketkeeper Tallon took two wickets and stand-in gloveman Johnson stumped a Scottish batsman off Ring.''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' (1949), pp. 260–261. Bradman allowed his non-regular bowlers opportunities with the ball, and the wickets were shared, with nobody taking more than four.


See also

*
1948 English cricket season 1948 was the 49th season of County Championship cricket in England. Don Bradman, who was shortly to retire, made his final appearance in England. Bradman's Australian team, which included Arthur Morris, a very young Neil Harvey, Ray Lindwall an ...
*
1982 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France The 1982 Kangaroo tour was the fifteenth Kangaroo tour where the Australian national rugby league team played a number of matches against British and French rugby league teams, in addition to the Test matches. The Australia national rugby league ...


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


CricketArchive tour itinerary



Cricinfo full tour index
{{DEFAULTSORT:Australian Cricket Team In England In 1948 1948 in Australian cricket 1948 in English cricket 1948 in Ceylon
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
Australian folklore International cricket competitions from 1945–46 to 1960 Sri Lankan cricket seasons from 1880–81 to 1971–72 1948 Ashes series
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...