Bill Johnston died

[Fiery]

Bill Johnston passed away yesterday. Obviously held in high regard by his peers...
Anyone got any stories or thoughts to share about this top cricketer in his remembrance?

 

[Craig]

RIP.

Will be missed.

 

[cover drive man]

RIP Bill Johnston.

 

[Richard]

No memories, obviously, but sad to hear. RIP.

 

[Fiery]

Come on guys. We can do better than that

 

[_Ed_]

I must admit I'd hardly heard of him until I really looked in detail at that great Australian team of the time...I find that ridiculous that I hadn't been able to hear about this obviously great bowler until then. Hugely underrated.

 

[Richard]

Oh, he was a fantastic bowler, no doubts about that. But that was the whole thing about him - he was the "quiet" type of bowler, it was Lindwall and Miller who took the limelight. He was one who did the job unobtrusively.

 

[cover drive man]

Oh, he was a fantastic bowler, no doubts about that. But that was the whole thing about him - he was the "quiet" type of bowler, it was Lindwall and Miller who took the limelight. He was one who did the job unobtrusively.

I think that kumble is like that.

 

[Richard]

In a way, yes, though Kumble has been the main man (in the subcontinent) in his attack most of his career. Johnstone was sort of more the first mate to Lindwall and Miller's joint captain.

 

[Matt79]

Yeah, players like Lindwall and Davidson really rated him very highly. Was a stalwart member of the Aussie attack for several years.

In terms of stories, he achieved the apparently extremely unlikey feat, given his 'cheerful' but largey insubstantial batting, of finishing the 1953 tour of England with a batting average of 102, after freakishly managing to be dismissed only once for the entire tour. In the last tour match, Hassett declared early especially to prevent him having to bat again and risk having his average reduced to "only" 50-odd...

 

[Richard]

Haha, never heard that Hassett story before. Legendary.

 

[Craig]

Yeah, players like Lindwall and Davidson really rated him very highly. Was a stalwart member of the Aussie attack for several years.

In terms of stories, he achieved the apparently extremely unlikey feat, given his 'cheerful' but largey insubstantial batting, of finishing the 1953 tour of England with a batting average of 102, after freakishly managing to be dismissed only once for the entire tour. In the last tour match, Hassett declared early especially to prevent him having to bat again and risk having his average reduced to "only" 50-odd...

Haha that is a gun effort by Johnston.

I love stories like that.

 

[andmark]

Rip

 

[nightprowler10]

RIP Bill Johnston.

Impressive statistics, tbh.

 

[archie mac]

Yeah, players like Lindwall and Davidson really rated him very highly. Was a stalwart member of the Aussie attack for several years.

In terms of stories, he achieved the apparently extremely unlikey feat, given his 'cheerful' but largey insubstantial batting, of finishing the 1953 tour of England with a batting average of 102, after freakishly managing to be dismissed only once for the entire tour. In the last tour match, Hassett declared early especially to prevent him having to bat again and risk having his average reduced to "only" 50-odd...

Great story this; also in a couple of earlier innings on this tour, he went to the wicket with a note from his captain asking his opposite number not to get him out!

A great Richmond boy will be sadly missed

 

[Matt79]

Averaging over 100 on a tour is a fair effort when your career high score in FC cricket is only 32...

 

[archie mac]

Averaging over 100 on a tour is a fair effort when your career high score in FC cricket is only 32...

True, but he was not the worst; with Doug Ring another Richmond boy they guided Aust. to a one wicket win over the Windies

 

[Matt79]

Oh, for sure, he was no Glenn McGrath with the bat.


After all, he never got a Test 50

 

[archie mac]

Oh, for sure, he was no Glenn McGrath with the bat.


After all, he never got a Test 50

Not sure which is the bigger slight on Test cricket; that 50 or that 200 from his partner in crime

 

[Richard]

Eeek, a rolleyes from Sean, I never thought...

But the fact that that Bangladesh Gillespie game was classed Test is obviously an infinately bigger assault on Test cricket's integrity than that crazy partnership in the New Zealand game.