Ian Johnson (cricketer)
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Ian William Geddes Johnson, (8 December 1917 – 9 October 1998) was an Australian
cricketer Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
who played 45 
Test matches Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to: * Test cricket * Test match (indoor cricket) * Test match (rugby union) * Test match (rugby league) * Test match (association football) ...
as a slow
off-break 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 ...
bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test
wicket In cricket, the term wicket has several meanings: * It is one of the two sets of three stumps and two bails at either end of the pitch. The fielding team's players can hit the wicket with the ball in a number of ways to get a batsman out. ...
s at an
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
of 29.19 
run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...
s per wicket and as a capable lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
of 18.51 runs per dismissal. He captained the Australian team in 17 Tests, winning seven and losing five, with a further five drawn. Despite this record, he is better known as the
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
who lost consecutive Ashes series against
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Urbane, well-spoken and popular with his opponents and the public, he was seen by his teammates as a disciplinarian and his natural optimism was often seen as naive. Aged 17, Johnson made his
first-class cricket First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...
debut for
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
in the 1935–36 season but did not establish a permanent place in the team until 1939–40. His career was interrupted by the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
; he served with the
Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
as a pilot and later as a
flight instructor A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to operate aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate ...
. He returned to cricket after his discharge and was selected to tour New Zealand with the Australian team, making his Test debut. Johnson was part of
Don Bradman Sir Donald George Bradman, (27 August 1908 – 25 February 2001), nicknamed "The Don", was an Australian international cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman's career Test batting average of 99.94 has bee ...
's ''Invincibles'' team; undefeated on tour in England in 1948. He was a regular member of the national side until poor form saw him left out of the Australian squad for the 1953 tour of England. Johnson was appointed Australian captain following
Lindsay Hassett Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and the Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by ''Wisden'' as, "... a mas ...
's retirement. The appointment was not universally popular; some teammates and supporters felt
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 ...
had a better claim to the position. In his first series as captain, Australia was defeated by a strong English team on home soil. The tour of the
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
that followed was a cricketing and diplomatic triumph for Johnson. Australia won the Test series comfortably and Johnson's astute public relations skills helped avoid a repeat of the crowd disturbances that had marred England's visit to the islands 12 months before. However, his Australian team then went on to lose the 1956 Ashes series in England. Johnson's Test career ended with Australia's first Test tour of the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a list of the physiographic regions of the world, physiographical region in United Nations geoscheme for Asia#Southern Asia, Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian O ...
, which occurred during the voyage back to Australia. Australia lost the one-off Test against Pakistan, the first between the two nations, before claiming the series against India. On his return to Australia, he retired from all forms of cricket at age 39. After retirement, Johnson worked for a time as a
sports commentator In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...
, including covering the
1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...
in Melbourne. In 1957 he was appointed Secretary of the
Melbourne Cricket Club The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is a sports club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is one of the oldest sports clubs in Australia. The MCC is responsible for management and development of the Melbourne Cricket Ground ...
, one of the most prestigious positions in Australian sport. He would remain in the role for 26 years, overseeing the development of the
Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...
and playing a key role in the organisation of the
Centenary Test Centenary Test refers to two matches of Test cricket played between the English cricket team and the Australian cricket team, the first in 1977 and the second in 1980. These matches were played to mark the 100th anniversaries of the first Test cr ...
in 1977. In 1956 he was appointed
Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
for services to cricket; this was twice upgraded: to OBE in 1977 and to
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
in 1982.


Early years

Johnson was born in
North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...
, an inner suburb of Melbourne, on 8 December 1917.Robinson (1996), pp. 241–247. His father, William Johnson—a wine and spirit grocer—was a keen cricketer who played one first-class match for
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
in 1924–25 before serving as a
selector Selector may refer to: *Selector, electrical or mechanical component, a switch *''Selector'', music scheduling software for radio stations created by Radio Computing Services *Selector, of music, otherwise known as a disc jockey *Selector, a pers ...
for the Australian Test team. As a schoolboy, Ian Johnson excelled at a variety of sports. He participated in athletics and
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
, as well as playing as a
wicket-keeper The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being watchful of the batsman and ready to take a catch, stump the batsman out and run out a batsman when occasion arises. Th ...
for Middle Park State School. In 1936, he became the Victorian amateur
squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...
champion.Derriman (1987), pp. 150–153. However, he found his vocation in cricket. In 1934–35, aged only 16, and still a schoolboy at Wesley College, Johnson played his first match for the
South Melbourne Cricket Club The Casey-South Melbourne Cricket Club is a cricket club located in the outer south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Cranbourne East, which plays in the Victorian Premier Cricket competition. Founded in 1862 as South Melbourne, it has produced nine Aust ...
First XI The First XI (or, less commonly, First 11) are the eleven primary players in an organisation's leading team, particularly a football or cricket team. A player who is considered a core part of the starting line-up in a First XI team is often the ...
. He was given the opportunity to play first-class cricket the following season, playing
Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...
—not then involved in the
Sheffield Shield The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Shi ...
competition—just 23 days past his seventeenth birthday. He scored 34 and 26 and took two wickets in each innings as Tasmania won by six wickets. He was retained for the next game, scoring 15 runs in his only innings and taking 3 wickets for 40 runs (3/40) in the Tasmanian first innings and 1/27 in the second. He did not play first-class cricket again for three years, finally returning to the Victorian side to play another two games against Tasmania in 1938–39, making his highest first-class score to date, 88 runs, in the second game. He secured his place in the Victorian team in the 1939–40 season, making his
Sheffield Shield The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Shi ...
debut against
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
in Adelaide in November 1939. Batting at number five, Johnson scored 33 runs in the first innings and 41 in the second, but was unable to take a wicket. That season, Johnson scored 313 runs at an average of 26.08 and took 13 wickets at an average of 39.92. In a season truncated because of the Second World War, Johnson played five matches in 1940–41, scoring 292 runs at an average of 32.44 and taking 25 wickets at 27.60. Johnson's cricket career was interrupted by the war and he enlisted in the
Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF) in March 1941. He flew
Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...
s with
No. 22 Squadron RAAF No. 22 (City of Sydney) Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) mixed Permanent and Reserve squadron that provides support for the RAAF in the Sydney region. Formed in 1936, the squadron served in Papua New Guinea during the Second Wor ...
and, by 1944, was serving as a
Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...
in the
South West Pacific theatre The South West Pacific theatre, during World War II, was a major theatre of the war between the Allies and the Axis. It included the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies (except for Sumatra), Borneo, Australia and its mandate Territory of ...
.Perry (2000), pp. 192–199. In June 1945, Johnson was awarded the King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air for his work as a flight instructor with No. 11 Elementary Flying Training School, based at
Benalla Benalla is a small city located on the Broken River gateway to the High Country north-eastern region of Victoria, Australia, about north east of the state capital Melbourne. At the the population was 10,822. It is the administrative centr ...
in rural Victoria. He was discharged in December 1945 and resumed his first-class cricket career in the 1945–46 season.


Test career


Debut and early Test career

Following his discharge from service, Johnson returned to first-class cricket in the 1945–46 season, winning a place on the Australian tour of New Zealand. The only Test match—the first between the two nations—was played at the
Basin Reserve The Basin Reserve (commonly known as "The Basin") is a cricket ground in Wellington, New Zealand. It has been used for Test matches, and is the main home ground for the Wellington Firebirds first-class team. The Basin Reserve is the only cricke ...
in
Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
. Johnson scored 7 
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 t ...
and he was not needed to bowl as New Zealand collapsed for an aggregate of just 96 runs in their two innings; Australia won by an innings and 103 runs. Test cricket resumed in Australia with the visit of the English team in 1946–47. Before the Test matches started, the touring team played Victoria in a warm-up match. Johnson took 4 wickets for 38 runs in the English second innings but was unable to prevent the tourists from winning by 244 runs. Note: Until 1977, outside Test matches, touring England teams played as Marylebone Cricket Club. He was included in the Australian team for the First Test at Brisbane, scoring 47 runs in the Australian total of 645. Once again Johnson was not given an opportunity to bowl as Australia won the match by an innings and 332 runs. Johnson took his first Test wicket with only his third delivery in Test cricket, dismissing
Len Hutton Sir Leonard Hutton (23 June 1916 – 6 September 1990) was an English cricketer. He played as an opening batsman for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1934 to 1955 and for England in 79 Test matches between 1937 and 1955. ''Wisden Cricketer ...
caught behind Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket. A batsman is out caught if the batsman hits the ball, from a legitimate delivery, with the bat, and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground. If the ball ...
down the
leg side The leg side, or on side, is defined to be a particular half of the field used to play the sport of cricket. It is the side of the field that corresponds to the batsman's non-dominant hand, from their perspective. From the point of view of a righ ...
in the Second Test in Sydney. Making use of the breeze, in one 11 over stretch Johnson conceded only three runs—including eight maidens, taking one wicket. Johnson went on to take 6 wickets for 42 runs in the innings as England were bowled out for 255. Johnson, batting as a nightwatchman, joined
Sid Barnes Sidney George Barnes (5 June 1916 – 16 December 1973) was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test cricket, Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to Batting order (cricket)#Opening batsmen, open the innings or Ba ...
at the wicket late on the second day of the match, batting through until
stumps In cricket, the stumps are the three vertical posts that support the bails and form the wicket. '' Stumping'' or ''being stumped'' is a method of dismissing a batsman. The umpire ''calling stumps'' means the play is over for the day. Part of ...
. He was dismissed the next day having scored 7 runs in an Australian total of 659. In the English second innings Johnson took another two wickets; England were dismissed for 371 runs and lost the Test by an innings and 33 runs. Johnson met with less success in 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) * Hig ...
in his home town of Melbourne. Batting at number six, Johnson was dismissed 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 ...
for a golden duck and, in the second innings,
run out Run out is a method of dismissal in cricket, governed by Law 38 of the Laws of Cricket. A run out usually occurs when the batsmen are attempting to run between the wickets, and the fielding team succeed in getting the ball to one wicket befo ...
, again without scoring, giving him an unwanted
pair Pair or PAIR or Pairing may refer to: Government and politics * Pair (parliamentary convention), matching of members unable to attend, so as not to change the voting margin * ''Pair'', a member of the Prussian House of Lords * ''Pair'', the Frenc ...
. With the ball, Johnson took one wicket in the English first innings. In the second innings Australia were not able to dismiss England and the match was drawn; Johnson failed to take a wicket. Johnson returned to form with the bat in the Fourth Test at Adelaide. Unable to take a wicket in England's first innings, during the Australian first innings he made 52 runs. He dismissed Hutton again in the second innings, his only wicket of the match. The match finished in a draw, giving the Australians an unbeatable two–nil lead in the Test series and therefore retaining
The Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, ''The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first Te ...
. Johnson was injured and could not play in the Fifth and final Fifth Test in Sydney. A weak Indian team toured Australia for the first time in 1947–48, to play five Tests against an Australian team led 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 bee ...
. The Indian team was weakened by withdrawals of their first-choice captain
Vijay Merchant Vijay Singh Madhavji Merchant , real name Vijay Madhav Thackersey (12 October 1911 – 27 October 1987) was an Indian cricketer. A right-hand batter and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Merchant played first-class cricket for Bombay c ...
, as well as
Rusi Modi Rustomji Sheriyar Modi (11 November 1924 – 17 May 1996) was an Indian cricketer who played for the India national cricket team from 1946 to 1952. Modi belonged to Parsi community. His test career started at Lord's in India's first test in ...
and
Mushtaq Ali Syed Mushtaq Ali (; 17 December 1914 – 18 June 2005) was an Indian cricketer, a right-handed opening batsman who holds the distinction of scoring the first overseas Test century by an Indian player when he scored 112 against England at Old Tr ...
. Furthermore,
Fazal Mahmood Fazal Mahmood PP, HI (18 February 1927 – 30 May 2005) was a Pakistani international cricketer. He played in 34 Test matches and took 139 wickets at a bowling average of 24.70. The first Pakistani to pass 100 wickets, he reached the landm ...
had become a
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
i, following the
partition of India The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
.Pollard (1988), p. 568. Johnson played in the first four Tests, taking 16 wickets at an average of 16.31 runs per wicket. The Third Test at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), also known locally as "The 'G", is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Victoria. Founded and managed by the Melbourne Cricket Club, it is the largest stadiu ...
(MCG) saw Johnson's best performance of the series, 4/59 in the first innings and 4/35 in the second. Australia won the series 4–0.


Bradman's ''Invincibles''

Johnson was a member of Don Bradman's Australian team touring England in 1948. Known as the ''Invincibles'', the Australian team was the first side to remain unbeaten through an entire English tour. Johnson started the tour well, taking 7/42 in an early tour match against
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...
, followed by 5/53 against
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
. 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 G ...
, Johnson took 6/37 in the second innings. Earlier in the match Australia had scored 721 runs in a single day; Johnson made 9. Having earned selection for the First Test at
Trent Bridge Trent Bridge Cricket Ground is a cricket ground mostly used for Test, One-Day International and county cricket located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, just across the River Trent from the city of Nottingham. Trent Bridge is also t ...
, Johnson took only one wicket in the match; Australia won the Test by eight wickets. He had more success in the Second Test at
Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...
taking three wickets in the first innings as Australia won the match by 409 runs. Johnson failed to take a wicket in a rain-affected Third Test at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Old Trafford, and was replaced after the Fourth Test, having taken only seven wickets in the series at an average of 61.00. ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' noted that while Johnson had started the tour well, he was not as effective in English conditions as Australian. Nonetheless, Johnson played an important role in maintaining the Australian team's unbeaten record, bowling more overs than anyone other than Bill Johnston (cricketer), Bill Johnston—allowing Bradman to rest
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 Ray Lindwall, his fast bowling pair, for the important matches.


Decline in form

During the Test series in Australian cricket team in South Africa in 1949-50, South Africa in 1949–50, Johnson took 18 wickets at an average of 24.22—only Bill Johnston, with 23, took more. Against a South Africa national cricket team, South African team weakened following the Second World War, the Australians started the series with a win in the First Test at Ellis Park Stadium, Ellis Park at Johannesburg. The Australians won the match by an innings and 83 runs; Johnson made 66 and took 3/37 and 3/54. His best performance was in the Third Test at Kingsmead cricket ground, Durban, Kingsmead in Durban; 5/34 including the wicket of Dudley Nourse as South Africa was dismissed for 99. Australia, having made only 75 in their first innings, scored 336, including 151 
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 t ...
by Neil Harvey, to win the match by five wickets. Australia won the series—
Lindsay Hassett Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and the Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by ''Wisden'' as, "... a mas ...
's first as captain—four Tests to nil. Freddie Brown (cricketer), Freddie Brown and his English cricket team in Australia in 1950-51, English team toured Australia in 1950–51 to compete for the Ashes in a five Test series. Australia won the series four Tests to one; however ''Wisden'' reports that while "Australia held a slight superiority ... the difference between the teams was markedly less than revealed by statistics". Johnson had a "mediocre series", taking only seven wickets at an average of 44.42. His best performance was in the Third Test, when he took three wickets in the England first innings. He followed this by scoring 77 runs in a 150 run partnership (cricket), partnership with Keith Miller, who went on to score 145 
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 t ...
. Johnson took another wicket in the English second innings and Australia won the Test by an innings and 13 runs. England's victory in the Fifth Test in Melbourne ended Australia's unbeaten run of 29 Tests since 1938.Pollard (1988), p. 388. The next summer, the West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1951-52, West Indian team visited Australia to play five Tests. The series was billed as the "unofficial cricket championship of the world", following the West Indian victory against England in 1950. However, the Australians won the series comfortably, 4–1. Johnson had another lean series, taking only eight wickets at an average of 32.75. When the South African cricket team in Australia in 1952-53, South Africans toured in 1952–53, Johnson was selected for Australia ahead of Queenslander Colin McCool. His selection was unpopular with a parochial The Gabba, Gabba crowd; when Gil Langley—who had replaced another Queenslander, Don Tallon—fumbled a stumping chance against John Watkins (South African cricketer), John Watkins, they cheered loudly.Haigh (2006), p. 48. Johnson was omitted from the side for the remainder of the series and was not included in the Australian cricket team in England in 1953, Australian squad to tour England in 1953.


Captaincy


Selection

While the Australian team lost the Ashes for the first time in twenty years, Johnson spent the winter of 1953 Play-by-play, calling
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
matches for local radio station 3AW and writing columns for ''The Argus (Australia), The Argus newspaper.''Haigh (2006), pp. 83–85. Later that year, the Cricket Victoria, Victorian Cricket Association appointed him to succeed the retired Hassett as captain of Victoria. In the middle of the season, at a mutual friend's New Year's Eve party, Hassett approached Johnson to discuss his form. Taking a confrontational approach, Hassett said to Johnson, "The problem is that you are not getting stuck in. You're not trying." When Johnson protested, Hassett continued "If you have got any brains, you will start taking this game seriously. Because if you do you will end up Australian cricket captains, captaining Australia next year." The other contender for the vacant national captaincy position was
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 ...
, the fast-bowling all-rounder and captain of New South Wales cricket team, New South Wales. Miller had led his team to victory in the 1953–54
Sheffield Shield The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Shi ...
and was recognised as an intuitive captain. Based solely on cricketing merit, Miller, a regular selection at international level, was seen as the superior candidate.Haigh (2006), p. 84. "On cricketing merits, Miller was vastly Johnson's superior." However, inter-state rivalries and a perception that Miller would be a poor disciplinarian saw him passed over. This perception was partly based on an incident when Miller, as captain of New South Wales, allowed his teammate
Sid Barnes Sidney George Barnes (5 June 1916 – 16 December 1973) was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test cricket, Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to Batting order (cricket)#Opening batsmen, open the innings or Ba ...
to serve List of cricket terms#D, drinks on the field dressed in a three-piece suit rather than standard cricket whites (cricket), whites. Johnson, on the other hand, was part of the cricket establishment: he was an alumnus of the exclusive Wesley College and the son of a former Test selector. He had also returned to form, taking 37 wickets in the 1953–54 Sheffield Shield—more than any other player—at an average of 16.37. In what cricket writer Dick Whitington speculated was a vote split between the New South Wales and Victorian factions, the Cricket Australia, Australian Board of Control appointed Johnson as Australian captain. His appointment was not universally applauded.


Ashes defeat

Johnson's first challenge as captain was English cricket team in Australia in 1954-55, the Ashes series against England in 1954–55. In his first match as captain—the First Test at the Gabba in Brisbane—he led his team to victory, defeating England by an innings and 154 runs. It was to be the only Australian victory in the series. Injured, Johnson was unable to play in the Second Test in Sydney. With Miller also injured, Arthur Morris was asked to lead the Australian team against an English fast bowling attack including Frank Tyson and Brian Statham. Tyson, who took ten wickets in the match, was instrumental in England winning the Test by 38 runs. Johnson and Miller returned for the Third Test in Melbourne but were unable to prevent another English victory, this time by 128 runs. The Test was marred by controversy; Melbourne newspaper, ''The Age'', alleged that the cricket pitch, pitch had been watered during the course of the match, in contravention of the laws of cricket. "Under no circumstances shall the Pitch be watered during a match." Following an enquiry, the Victorian Cricket Association and the
Melbourne Cricket Club The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is a sports club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is one of the oldest sports clubs in Australia. The MCC is responsible for management and development of the Melbourne Cricket Ground ...
issued a statement denying any watering of the playing area during the match; however ''Wisden'' reported that "large cracks were evident on Saturday yet on Monday these had closed and for a time the surface behaved more kindly to batsmen". Certainly, Johnson felt the pitch had been changed to his disadvantage: "It was like losing the toss twice over". Johnson and Test debutant Len Maddocks shared a partnership of 54 runs to help Australia fight back in their first innings. Tyson ended the Australian resistance, taking 7/27 in the Australian second innings—England won the match by 128 runs. England won the Fourth Test at Adelaide by five wickets and therefore retained the Ashes. With the Fifth and final Test ending in a draw, England won the series 3–1. ''Wisden'' attributed England's victory to "superb fast bowling by Tyson and Statham [that] turned the scales so that finally the Australian batsmen were completely humbled". Losing three successive Tests saw the selectors of the Australian team subjected to harsh criticism. In the four Tests that Johnson played, he claimed 12 wickets at 20.25 and had a batting average of 58.00—inflated because of a series of
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 t ...
innings; his highest score for the series was 41. As batting averages are calculated by total number of runs scored by a batsman divided by the number of times he has been out,
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 t ...
innings—where the batsman has not been dismissed—will increase his average.


Caribbean success

In March 1955, Johnson led Australia's first Test tour of the
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
. The Australian Board of Control was concerned about the team's relations with the West Indian public. Against a background of rising anti-colonial feeling and resentment, English cricket team in West Indies in 1953-54, England's tour of the West Indies the year before had been marred by riots and violent disturbances. With the White Australia policy in place at the time, the Australians feared an unpleasant reception from the Caribbean public. However, the Australian team proved very popular throughout the West Indies; ''Wisden'' reported that "much credit belonged to the tact displayed by Ian Johnson, who proved a most able captain". Johnson cultivated a relaxed manner with the locals; in one instance at Sabina Park in Jamaica, he stopped to pick up a toddler who had run onto the playing field during the change of innings. Smiling and chatting to the boy, he then carried him safely off the ground. Teammate Alan Keith Davidson, Alan Davidson claimed, "Ian did the best PR job of any captain I've ever seen". As well as being popular, the Australian team was successful on the field, winning the series three Tests to nil. The series was dominated by batsmen; in the five Test matches played the Australians scored 12 century (cricket), centuries while for the West Indies, Clyde Walcott alone scored five centuries—including centuries in both innings in the Tests at Sabina Park and Queens Park Oval. Johnson injured his foot while batting during the Sabina Park Test and was unable to bowl or field for the remainder of the match. In his place, Miller led the Australians to a nine-wicket victory. The Second Test at Queens Park Oval was a high scoring result (cricket), draw; Johnson scored 66 runs and took a single wicket. Johnson met with success in the Third Test at Bourda in Georgetown, Guyana. He took 7/44 in the West Indian second innings—still the best-ever innings analysis by an Australian captain—and Australia won the Test by eight wickets. A major rift between Johnson and Miller—erstwhile rivals for the Australian captaincy—developed during the Fourth Test, played at Kensington Oval in Barbados. During the third day, Miller, bowling swing bowling, fast-medium swingers, had dismissed Everton Weekes and Collie Smith in quick succession to leave the West Indies at 6/147 with Denis Atkinson and Clairmonte Depeiaza batting. Johnson, thinking that the two batsmen would be vulnerable to express pace, asked Miller to increase his bowling speed. When Miller refused, Johnson remonstrated with him: "I'll say who bowls and what they bowl". With Miller refusing to bowl as directed, Johnson replaced him in the attack with Ray Lindwall. Walking off the field at the end of the day's play and continuing in the dressing room, Miller provoked Johnson, telling him he "couldn't captain a team of schoolboys", among other insults. Finally Johnson responded, asking "If you want to go on like that why don't we go around the back and thrash it out?" The much larger Miller declined the offer and the pair travelled back to the team hotel together. The next day, Atkinson and Depeiaza batted throughout the entire day's play. Their partnership of 347 runs for the seventh wicket is still a world record. In the Fifth and final Test, the Australians scored 758 runs in their only innings—including maiden Test centuries for Benaud and Ron Archer, centuries for Miller and Colin McDonald (Australian cricketer), Colin McDonald, and a double century for Neil Harvey—to win the match by an innings and 83 runs. Overall, despite the team's victory in the series, Johnson's on-field contribution was inconsistent. While he took 14 wickets in the Test series, seven came in just one innings. His inconsistent form saw internal team tensions develop over whether his place in the team was justified; ''Wisden'' claimed that "some malcontents called him 'myxomatosis' because he only bowled when the List of cricket terms#R, rabbits were in". Donald Bradman wrote to Prime Ministers of Australia, Prime Minister Robert Menzies after the tour, recommending an honour for Johnson in recognition of his contribution to the tour's success. The next year, both Johnson and Miller were appointed as
Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(MBE).


"Lakered"

Johnson led his Australian cricket team in England in 1956, Australian team to England in 1956. The team's visit to England coincided with what was described by ''Wisden'' as "the wettest of all summers in memory". The poor weather gave the Australian team little chance to develop their confidence and Johnson used the early matches of the tour to allow his batsmen and bowlers to experiment in the unfamiliar conditions. In one of these early matches,
Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
defeated Australia by ten wickets; the first time Australia had lost to county opposition since 1912. In parallel with later events in the Old Trafford Test, off-spinner Jim Laker took all ten wickets in the Australian first innings; Laker and left-arm spinner Tony Lock took 19 of the 20 Australian wickets that fell in the match. While Johnson was successful with the ball, taking 6 wickets for 168; his preconceived tactics saw him allow Lindwall—his main fast bowler—only two overs in Surrey's first innings and attempt to turn Alan Davidson into a spin bowler. Cricket writer Ray Robinson (cricket writer), Ray Robinson said of Johnson's tactics throughout the tour, "I have not met one good cricketer or cricket judge who is not mystified by them". The manner of this loss severely dented Australia's confidence against spin for the remainder of the tour. The First Test, at Nottingham, was affected by rain and, despite England Declaration and forfeiture, declaring twice, the match ended in a draw. Injuries to Lindwall and Davidson meant an under-strength Australian team was forced to take the field in the Second Test at Lord's. In what ''Wisden'' described as a "triumph of teamwork", the Australians won the match by 185 runs. Johnson was unlucky to lose the toss in the Third Test at Leeds, because Lock and Laker were able to take maximum advantage of a pitch conducive to spin. The duo took 18 of the 20 Australian wickets and England won the match by an innings and 42 runs. The Fourth Test at Manchester proved controversial. The Old Trafford pitch had little grass, perhaps as a result of earlier wet weather.Frith (2007), p. 238. Again, Johnson lost the toss and England chose to bat first. Johnson and his spinning partner, Richie Benaud were unable to exploit the spin-friendly conditions and the English made 459 runs. In reply, the Australians could not come to grips with the conditions; Laker took nine of the ten wickets, Lock the other, as Australia were brushed away for just 84. Amid wild weather, the Australians were asked to follow-on. A determined batting performance was not enough to prevent an English victory by an innings and 170 runs. Laker's performance was historic. He took 10/53, the first time in a Test match a bowler had taken all ten wickets in an innings. With his 9/37 in the first innings, he had captured 19 wickets for the match, still a List of first-class cricket records#Best figures in a match, world record in first-class cricket. ''Wisden'' reported that the Australians were "extremely bitter over the condition of the pitch". Former Test cricketer and journalist Bill O'Reilly (cricketer), Bill O'Reilly wrote "This pitch is a complete disgrace" while Colin McDonald later said, "England cheated: if by cheating you include the practise of preparing wickets to suit your own purpose."Haigh (2006), pp. 97–98. Johnson was generous towards the victors. Playing down the discontent felt by the Australians, he said: "When the controversy and side issues of the match are forgotten, Laker's wonderful bowling will remain." The media reported that Australia had been "Lakered". The Fifth and final Test was drawn and Australia lost the series two Tests to one. Australia had now lost three Ashes series in a row, the last two with Johnson as captain. His own form was modest; he took only six wickets in the Tests at an average of over 50 runs per wicket. His performance with the bat was worse, scoring just 61 runs at an average of only 7.62. Once again, Johnson's place in the team was questioned. Acerbic cricket pundit
Sid Barnes Sidney George Barnes (5 June 1916 – 16 December 1973) was an Australian cricketer and cricket writer, who played 13 Test cricket, Test matches between 1938 and 1948. Able to Batting order (cricket)#Opening batsmen, open the innings or Ba ...
—a former teammate—joked that Johnson was "Australia's non-playing captain".Smith (1999), p. 187. Bill Ferguson, the Australian team's scorer, was also critical: "Had Johnson been told by his friends in the press that he was, in fact, a passenger, he might have pondered on the advisability of standing down. [...] There would have been no shame in standing down." Writing after the tour, Miller—a tour selector—stated "Privately I thought that [Johnson] was not a form selection. On the other hand, I did not think it wise to change skippers in midstream."Miller (1956), p. 138.


Home and retirement

On the return journey from England, the Australians toured Australian cricket team in India in 1956–57, India and Australian cricket team in Pakistan in 1956–57, Pakistan for the first time, with mixed results. On a cricket pitch, matting pitch, unfamiliar to the Australians, Johnson's team lost the inaugural Test against Pakistan national cricket team, Pakistan at Karachi. Responding to the loss, a cartoon drawn by Norman Mitchell of the Adelaide ''The News (Adelaide), News'' newspaper suggested island planters might be able to scrape together a team that would be a match for the Australians. Returning to turf pitches in India, the Australians restored some pride. Johnson was the highest scorer in the Australian team's victory by an innings and five runs in the First Test at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, Nehru Stadium in Chennai, Madras. Due to injury, both Johnson and Miller missed the drawn Second Test at Brabourne Stadium at Mumbai, Bombay; Lindwall skippered the side. Johnson returned for the Third Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Calcutta for what would ultimately prove to be his final Test. The Australians won the match by 94 runs, giving them a 2–0 series win. S. K. Gurunathan, summing up in the Indian Cricket (annual), Indian Cricket Almanack, wrote: "The Australians showed themselves to be a superior side even when their batting failed". When the team finally arrived home, Johnson announced his retirement from all cricket at the age of 39. In all, he played 45 Tests, capturing 109 wickets at an average of 29.19, including three five-wicket hauls. He scored exactly 1,000 runs, making him one of only fourteen Australians to achieve ''double (cricket), the double'' of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in Test cricket. Correct as at December 2017. In all first-class cricket, Johnson had taken 619 wickets and scored 4,905 runs. His record as the Australian captain was mixed; he had captained Australia in 17 Tests, winning seven and losing five. However, he was better known as the first captain to lead Australia to successive Ashes defeats in the 20th century.Perry (2000) p. 192. "Losses to England in the mid-twentieth century received more publicity. They are better recalled than the jubilant tours to far-off lands that allowed Johnson to end with two more Test wins than losses." Reviewing Johnson's time as captain, ''Wisden'' said, "Unfortunately for him, he took over in the mid-1950s, when Australian cricket was decidedly inferior to England's for the first time since before the Bradman era" but "he was a fine cricketer and, in some respects, a visionary".


Personal life

In 1942, aged 24, Johnson married 19-year-old Lal Park, the daughter of former Test cricketer Roy Park (sportsman), Roy Park. They were married for 56 years and had two sons, Bill and Bob. After the war, when cricket commitments allowed, Johnson worked as a salesman.Haigh (2006), p. 22. Immediately following his retirement, Johnson spent some time as one of the first television sporting commentators in Australia, covering the
1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...
, held in his home town of Melbourne.Haigh (2006), p. 265. He wrote a book; ''Cricket at the Crossroads'', published in 1957. The following year, Johnson was chosen from a group of 44 candidates for the position of secretary of the
Melbourne Cricket Club The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) is a sports club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is one of the oldest sports clubs in Australia. The MCC is responsible for management and development of the Melbourne Cricket Ground ...
. The position—previously held by Test cricketers Hugh Trumble and Vernon Ransford—is one of the most prestigious jobs in Australian cricket.Williams, pp. 182–183. While the source is discussing Donald Bradman's candidacy in 1939, it states "Nevertheless, the job was, and indeed still is, one of the most attractive jobs in the world of Australian cricket ..." and "The job was one of the most prestigious in Australian cricket." During a time of "dramatic change", he helped to maintain the Melbourne Cricket Ground's ("MCG") pre-eminence as a sporting arena. Johnson managed the club and the ground through some major redevelopment, keeping a balance between the competing interests of
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
and cricket. For services to sports administration, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1976. He played a leading part in organising the Centenary Test#Centenary Test, 1977 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Centenary Test, held at the MCG in 1977.Pollard (1988), pp. 603–604. For 20 years, he served as a member of the Victorian state parole board. After serving Melbourne Cricket Club for 26 years, he retired to spend more time at his home in the southern Melbourne suburb of Albert Park, Victoria, Albert Park and his holiday house in Torquay, Victoria, Torquay. In 1982, his OBE was upgraded, when he was invested as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to cricket. He died in Melbourne in 1998 following a long illness.


Style and personality

Unusually for an Australian, Johnson bowled off-spin rather than the wrist spin normally associated with countrymen of his day. Johnson had an atypical bowling action, with a "rather staccato swing" of his bowling arm.Martin-Jenkins (1980), p. 193. He bowled with a high degree of flight (cricket), flight, causing opposing batsmen difficulties in judging where the ball would land. Making intelligent use of the wind, Johnson was able to make his deliveries float away from the batsman, changing from his standard off-break. According to E. W. Swanton, Johnson was "probably the slowest bowler to achieve any measure of success in Test cricket". His action was compared to a corkscrew; writer Ray Robinson saying that "to coax turn from firm Australian pitches he twisted the ball almost hard enough to screw a doorknob off". There were doubts about the legality of his bowling action; his English rival, Trevor Bailey claimed Johnson throwing (cricket), threw every delivery. Johnson was never no-balled for throwing, having played cricket in front of umpires from Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, the West Indies, India and Pakistan. Jack Pollard described Johnson as a "dour middle order batsman". He had a sound defence and when necessary could hit the ball with power. Bradman was full of praise for Johnson's batting after the ''Invincibles'' tour in 1948: "Splendid batsman—most valuable about number 7", also describing him as a "very good slip field". As captain, Johnson was noted for his public relations skills and his gift for public speaking.Haigh (2006), p. 92. He was optimistic by nature, with a belief in "guts and determination".Robinson (1996), p. 245. "With his slogan 'Guts and determination', Johnson had too much fire to lose heart, even when on the ropes." However, he was seen as insensitive at times; Bill Johnston took offence when Johnson attempted to rouse him during a practise session: "Just cos you are one of the old blokes in the side doesn't mean you don't have to bloody well put in you know." At times his optimism could appear artless and naive. Ian Craig—his successor as Australian captain—was critical of Johnson's attitude during the 1956 tour of England: "I don't think [Johnson] was ever realistic about the situation. [...] I supposed he felt obliged to make rallying speeches, but the team knew what was going on." Pat Crawford felt "Johnson couldn't get anything out of the players, whereas the guys would have busted a gut for [Miller]". He was seen by some of his teammates as "dictatorial" with Benaud and Harvey particularly resenting Johnson's insistence on the entire touring party attending every lead-in match before 1956 Test series in England. Johnson was sportsmanlike; on one occasion in South Africa, when Eastern Province cricket team, Eastern Province batsman Ray Connell (cricketer), Ray Connell was bowled after the ball deflected from his head, Johnson replaced the bail (cricket), bails, allowing him to continue batting.Haigh (2006), p. 28. During the Adelaide Test in 1950–51 he "List of cricket terms#W, walked", ensuring that the unlucky John Warr took at least one wicket for the series. Johnson was not above some gamesmanship, resorting to time-wasting tactics to avoid defeat in the final Test of the 1956 series against England. He was willing to have some fun on occasion; when in the West Indies he convinced a local pilot to allow him to fly the plane carrying the Australian team between Trinidad and nearby Tobago, to the later displeasure of the Australian Board of Control. Normally diplomatic, in a newspaper article in South Africa, Johnson was blunt with his hosts about race relations in the country: "I am certain that the average man-in-the-street avoids the problem too much for, at the moment, you're living in a fool's paradise".Haigh (2006), p. 17. Urbane, courteous and popular with opposition players and spectators, Colin Cowdrey described Johnson as "an astute leader and fine ambassador for cricket".Cowdrey (1986), p. 197.


Test match performance


References


Bibliography

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Ian 1917 births 1998 deaths Australia Test cricket captains Australian rules football commentators Australian television presenters Australian World War II pilots Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air Australian cricket administrators South Melbourne cricketers Australian sports journalists The Invincibles (cricket) Victoria cricketers People educated at Wesley College (Victoria) Cricketers from Melbourne Royal Australian Air Force officers Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II Australia Test cricketers Australian cricketers D. G. Bradman's XI cricketers People from North Melbourne