Coronis
Hall of Fame Member
Well for example MacLaren was in the worst form of his entire career, and shouldn’t have been chosen.
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Determining player of the match/series for historic tests
- Thread starter Coronis
- Start date
capt_Luffy
Hall of Fame Member
Still... Hobbs, Fry, Maclaren, Tyldesly, Jessop, Rhodes in his batting stage, Hirst, Sharp and Lilley is wayyy too good a batting line-up on paper, especially by reputation, to falter that hard.
Coronis
Hall of Fame Member
South Africa in Australia 1910/11
First Test: Clem Hill 191
Time for South Aftica’s first tour of Australia. I’m sure they would have been reasonably confident, but their confidence may have been shattered as Australia won by an innings and 100+ runs. After an early runout of Trumper, Bardsley (132) and Hill played brilliantly, taking the Aussies to 276/1. Gehrs and Armstrong played some nice support to Hill but afger his departure at 427/4 the Aussies could only manage another 101 runs. In failing light South Africa struggled, falling to 38/4 before rain set in. After the rain they fell further to 49/7 before Faulkner finally found a decent partner in Schwarz, both players scoring 60’s. Cotter carried all before him, the South Africans struggling against his pace. The next two days were rained out (well 5 overs on the fourth day) before South Africa’s innings closed at 174. Going in again they did better, but were fighting the inevitable Sherwell and Nourse with 60’s and another 40 odd runs from Faulkner. Notably Faulkner and Vogler, who had so dominated against England, failed to take a single wicket and gave up a combined 158 runs.
Second Test: Aubrey Faulkner 208, 8 Bill Whitty 3/81, 6/17
A test that South Africa really should’ve won, but let slip away. The Australians batted first, but underperformed on a decent wicket, Bardsley, Ransford and Armstrong all making 50’s as they made 348. In response, Faulkner went out and played the innings of his life, making 204, with some great lower order batting from Snooke and Sinclair brought the South Africans to 506. Australia’s second innings was highlighted by Trumper’s brilliant 159 off 164 balls. Such was the bowling of schwarz and Llewellyn that they were 237/6 by the time Trumper was out. Kelleway and Armstrong provided some valuable lower order runs but the Australians could only give them a target of 170. South Africa were firm favourites, but choked completely, only managing 80. Though Whitty’s bowling was described as beyond praise, no excuse could be offered for such a collapse. Faulkner (8 off 37) was thought to have flattered the bowlers by an overly cautious approach.
Third Test: Aubrey Faulkner 56, 1/59, 115, 2/56, Victor Trumper 214*, 28
Zulch (105) and Snooke (103) batted well with quality support from Faulkner, Llewellyn and Stricker and made 482. In response, Trumper pulled off possibly his best innings, coming in at 111/3 he never made a false stroke and brought the Aussies to 467. Kelleway and Ransford had made a decent start, and Bardsley provided him with good support. In response Faulkner and Llewellyn (80) dug in with South Africa making it to 360. Chasing 378, the Australians made a strong start to the innings at one point being 170/2, thanks to Bardsley and Hill. The bowling lead by Schwarz was good enough however, the Australians falling to 285/7 despite great contributions from Kelleway and Armstrong. A determined last wicket stand of 47 wasn’t enough to win the match, as the Aussies finished on 339.
Fourth Test: Wawrick Armstrong 48, 132, Ranji Hordern 3/39, 5/66
The Aussies were put in first did well on what was initially thought to be a rain softened pitch, Bardsley, Kelleway and Ransford led the way as they made a solid 328. Unfortunately the South Africans collapsed in response, falling to 65/6 before Nourse (92*) found some support in Sherwell as they made a total of 205. Coming in with the wicket at its best, the Aussies wasted no time, Armstrong and Hill scoring tons, with Trumper and Ransford falling just short as they amassed 578. The South Africans, left a hopeless target of 702, could only manage 174, Faulkner dominating with a fighting 80.
Fifth Test: Charles Macartney 137, 56
The wetness of the wicket delayed play until the afternoon and again Australia were put in, however yet again they were up to the challenge, Macartney back in the side played a great 137 and Bardsley (94) led the Aussies to 364. In response South Africa again collapsed, all out for 160 as Faulkner again top scored with 52. Following on Faulkner again did well with a 92 and Zulch made a decent 150, though being dropped thrice. A nice fightback making 401, but setting Australia only a target of 198, which led by Macartney and Trumper, they managed with the loss of just three wickets.
Player of the Series: Bill Whitty 37 @ 17.08, Aubrey Faulkner 732 @ 73.20, 10 @ 51.40
In a series largely dominated by batting (the Aussies having 4 players with 400+ runs) Whitty’s ability to consistently take cheap wickets against the South Afticans was invaluable. Faulkner however scored heavily and consistently and kept South Africa in with a chance in a few matches, by far their best player.
First Test: Clem Hill 191
Time for South Aftica’s first tour of Australia. I’m sure they would have been reasonably confident, but their confidence may have been shattered as Australia won by an innings and 100+ runs. After an early runout of Trumper, Bardsley (132) and Hill played brilliantly, taking the Aussies to 276/1. Gehrs and Armstrong played some nice support to Hill but afger his departure at 427/4 the Aussies could only manage another 101 runs. In failing light South Africa struggled, falling to 38/4 before rain set in. After the rain they fell further to 49/7 before Faulkner finally found a decent partner in Schwarz, both players scoring 60’s. Cotter carried all before him, the South Africans struggling against his pace. The next two days were rained out (well 5 overs on the fourth day) before South Africa’s innings closed at 174. Going in again they did better, but were fighting the inevitable Sherwell and Nourse with 60’s and another 40 odd runs from Faulkner. Notably Faulkner and Vogler, who had so dominated against England, failed to take a single wicket and gave up a combined 158 runs.
Second Test: Aubrey Faulkner 208, 8 Bill Whitty 3/81, 6/17
A test that South Africa really should’ve won, but let slip away. The Australians batted first, but underperformed on a decent wicket, Bardsley, Ransford and Armstrong all making 50’s as they made 348. In response, Faulkner went out and played the innings of his life, making 204, with some great lower order batting from Snooke and Sinclair brought the South Africans to 506. Australia’s second innings was highlighted by Trumper’s brilliant 159 off 164 balls. Such was the bowling of schwarz and Llewellyn that they were 237/6 by the time Trumper was out. Kelleway and Armstrong provided some valuable lower order runs but the Australians could only give them a target of 170. South Africa were firm favourites, but choked completely, only managing 80. Though Whitty’s bowling was described as beyond praise, no excuse could be offered for such a collapse. Faulkner (8 off 37) was thought to have flattered the bowlers by an overly cautious approach.
Third Test: Aubrey Faulkner 56, 1/59, 115, 2/56, Victor Trumper 214*, 28
Zulch (105) and Snooke (103) batted well with quality support from Faulkner, Llewellyn and Stricker and made 482. In response, Trumper pulled off possibly his best innings, coming in at 111/3 he never made a false stroke and brought the Aussies to 467. Kelleway and Ransford had made a decent start, and Bardsley provided him with good support. In response Faulkner and Llewellyn (80) dug in with South Africa making it to 360. Chasing 378, the Australians made a strong start to the innings at one point being 170/2, thanks to Bardsley and Hill. The bowling lead by Schwarz was good enough however, the Australians falling to 285/7 despite great contributions from Kelleway and Armstrong. A determined last wicket stand of 47 wasn’t enough to win the match, as the Aussies finished on 339.
Fourth Test: Wawrick Armstrong 48, 132, Ranji Hordern 3/39, 5/66
The Aussies were put in first did well on what was initially thought to be a rain softened pitch, Bardsley, Kelleway and Ransford led the way as they made a solid 328. Unfortunately the South Africans collapsed in response, falling to 65/6 before Nourse (92*) found some support in Sherwell as they made a total of 205. Coming in with the wicket at its best, the Aussies wasted no time, Armstrong and Hill scoring tons, with Trumper and Ransford falling just short as they amassed 578. The South Africans, left a hopeless target of 702, could only manage 174, Faulkner dominating with a fighting 80.
Fifth Test: Charles Macartney 137, 56
The wetness of the wicket delayed play until the afternoon and again Australia were put in, however yet again they were up to the challenge, Macartney back in the side played a great 137 and Bardsley (94) led the Aussies to 364. In response South Africa again collapsed, all out for 160 as Faulkner again top scored with 52. Following on Faulkner again did well with a 92 and Zulch made a decent 150, though being dropped thrice. A nice fightback making 401, but setting Australia only a target of 198, which led by Macartney and Trumper, they managed with the loss of just three wickets.
Player of the Series: Bill Whitty 37 @ 17.08, Aubrey Faulkner 732 @ 73.20, 10 @ 51.40
In a series largely dominated by batting (the Aussies having 4 players with 400+ runs) Whitty’s ability to consistently take cheap wickets against the South Afticans was invaluable. Faulkner however scored heavily and consistently and kept South Africa in with a chance in a few matches, by far their best player.
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capt_Luffy
Hall of Fame Member
NGL, was expecting Faulkner as the MoTS. Whitty did Great, but Still, 732 runs + 10 wickets; with valuable contributions almost every single match.
Coronis
Hall of Fame Member
England in Australia 1911/12
First Test: Ranji Hordern 5/85, 7/90
Australia started the series well, Trumper scoring big as Barnes was relegated to first change by debutant amateur captain and boxer Douglas. Trumper’s innings of 113 was relatively slow, in fact his SR being lower than the team’s total run rate, but a good knock nonetheless. Minnett on debut hit a fine fast 90 that was far more exciting by comparison. After a decent startup from Hill and Armstrong, Australia made it to 447. In response England could only manage 318, despite good fifties from Hobbs, Hearne and Foster, with Hordern bowling very well. Hill and Kelleway both played well in the second innings, and Australia made 308, setting England a target of 438. Ranji made sure they came nowhere near that, despite Gunn and Hearne’s best efforts, as Australia won by 149 runs.
Second Test: Sydney Barnes 5/44, 3/96, Jack Hobbs 6, 126*
Barnes was opening the bowling this time, and boy what a difference did he make, giving England an advantage they never truly lost, despite some shaky batting at points. In his five overs, he has 4 maidens, 4 wickets and 1 run. Australia salvaged 184 thanks chiefly to Ransford and Hordern. Rhodes (61) and Hearne (114) made a decent start against the Aussies, but some very poor batting by others left them only at 265. This time it was Foster’s turn to shine with a 6’fer, with Barnes supporting by taking out Hill and Trumper for a combined 2 runs. Armstrong batted superbly for his 90, and received excellent support as Australia made 299. Set 219, Hobbs dominated the final innings, playing arguably his finest ton up to that point in his career, as England won with 8 wickets to spare.
Third Test: Frank Foster 5/36, 71, 1/103
Again the Australians were brought down by a disastrous first innings, Foster bowling finely as they collapsed for 133 on a perfect wicket. The Englishmen dominated the match, Hobbs with a brilliant 187, well supported by the entire team, especially Rhodes and Foster, as they made their way to 501. Notably, 1 of the catches was actually taken by an English touring player substituting - Ransford had broken his thumb in the first innings and Trumper injured his knee (presumably during England’s innings). The Aussies attempted a comeback, led by a fine 98 from Hill with great support from Bardsley and Carter, making 476. Whilst Foster was blunted, Barnes bowling was very steady, taking a well deserved 5’fer. Set just 109 to win, the Englishmen made it with 7 wickets to spare, Rhodes and Gunn dominating the scoring.
Fourth Test: Jack Hobbs 178, Wilfred Rhodes 179
The ground was soft after rain the day before, but Australia made it to 53 without loss, thereafter Barnes and Foster went to work. Minnett’s fighting 56 was the highlight, but they fell for 191. Hobbs and Rhodes batted incredibly, setting a record opening partnership of 323, and with some notable support from Gunn, Foster and Woolley made a huge 589. Douglas was the bowler in fine form in the second innings, as the Australians fell cheaply once more, giving England an innings and 225 run victory.
Fifth Test: Frank Woolley 133*, 2/1, 1/36, 6 catches
Hordern bowled well, as England fell to 162/6, before Woolley found a good partner in Vine (36 off 150) and they managed 324. In response Australia had managed 133/5 by the end of the second day, behind, but not out of the game by any means. Rain washed out the next day, and Australia fell for 176 the following morning. The English top order gave a good display of wet wicket batting being at 105/2, thanks to Hobbs, Rhodes and Gunn, before collapsing for 214. With the pitch in good order, Australia set about chasing the 363 needed for victory, making it to 193/3 at the end of the day, with good work from Trumper, Gregory and Minnett. However, rain again fell all of the rest day, and after Minnett and Armstrong were out, the match was a foregone conclusion. Australia did very well managing 292.
Player of the Series: Frank Foster 32 @ 24.38, 226 @ 32.29
A really difficult one here. The pitches seemed friendly enough for Hobbs to amass 662 runs, with 3 tons with everyone else managing 4. Barnes and Foster both dominated with the ball and were key to multiple Australian collapses, though Foster also contributed with the bat. Very interested to hear people’s opinions on this one.
First Test: Ranji Hordern 5/85, 7/90
Australia started the series well, Trumper scoring big as Barnes was relegated to first change by debutant amateur captain and boxer Douglas. Trumper’s innings of 113 was relatively slow, in fact his SR being lower than the team’s total run rate, but a good knock nonetheless. Minnett on debut hit a fine fast 90 that was far more exciting by comparison. After a decent startup from Hill and Armstrong, Australia made it to 447. In response England could only manage 318, despite good fifties from Hobbs, Hearne and Foster, with Hordern bowling very well. Hill and Kelleway both played well in the second innings, and Australia made 308, setting England a target of 438. Ranji made sure they came nowhere near that, despite Gunn and Hearne’s best efforts, as Australia won by 149 runs.
Second Test: Sydney Barnes 5/44, 3/96, Jack Hobbs 6, 126*
Barnes was opening the bowling this time, and boy what a difference did he make, giving England an advantage they never truly lost, despite some shaky batting at points. In his five overs, he has 4 maidens, 4 wickets and 1 run. Australia salvaged 184 thanks chiefly to Ransford and Hordern. Rhodes (61) and Hearne (114) made a decent start against the Aussies, but some very poor batting by others left them only at 265. This time it was Foster’s turn to shine with a 6’fer, with Barnes supporting by taking out Hill and Trumper for a combined 2 runs. Armstrong batted superbly for his 90, and received excellent support as Australia made 299. Set 219, Hobbs dominated the final innings, playing arguably his finest ton up to that point in his career, as England won with 8 wickets to spare.
Third Test: Frank Foster 5/36, 71, 1/103
Again the Australians were brought down by a disastrous first innings, Foster bowling finely as they collapsed for 133 on a perfect wicket. The Englishmen dominated the match, Hobbs with a brilliant 187, well supported by the entire team, especially Rhodes and Foster, as they made their way to 501. Notably, 1 of the catches was actually taken by an English touring player substituting - Ransford had broken his thumb in the first innings and Trumper injured his knee (presumably during England’s innings). The Aussies attempted a comeback, led by a fine 98 from Hill with great support from Bardsley and Carter, making 476. Whilst Foster was blunted, Barnes bowling was very steady, taking a well deserved 5’fer. Set just 109 to win, the Englishmen made it with 7 wickets to spare, Rhodes and Gunn dominating the scoring.
Fourth Test: Jack Hobbs 178, Wilfred Rhodes 179
The ground was soft after rain the day before, but Australia made it to 53 without loss, thereafter Barnes and Foster went to work. Minnett’s fighting 56 was the highlight, but they fell for 191. Hobbs and Rhodes batted incredibly, setting a record opening partnership of 323, and with some notable support from Gunn, Foster and Woolley made a huge 589. Douglas was the bowler in fine form in the second innings, as the Australians fell cheaply once more, giving England an innings and 225 run victory.
Fifth Test: Frank Woolley 133*, 2/1, 1/36, 6 catches
Hordern bowled well, as England fell to 162/6, before Woolley found a good partner in Vine (36 off 150) and they managed 324. In response Australia had managed 133/5 by the end of the second day, behind, but not out of the game by any means. Rain washed out the next day, and Australia fell for 176 the following morning. The English top order gave a good display of wet wicket batting being at 105/2, thanks to Hobbs, Rhodes and Gunn, before collapsing for 214. With the pitch in good order, Australia set about chasing the 363 needed for victory, making it to 193/3 at the end of the day, with good work from Trumper, Gregory and Minnett. However, rain again fell all of the rest day, and after Minnett and Armstrong were out, the match was a foregone conclusion. Australia did very well managing 292.
Player of the Series: Frank Foster 32 @ 24.38, 226 @ 32.29
A really difficult one here. The pitches seemed friendly enough for Hobbs to amass 662 runs, with 3 tons with everyone else managing 4. Barnes and Foster both dominated with the ball and were key to multiple Australian collapses, though Foster also contributed with the bat. Very interested to hear people’s opinions on this one.
Coronis
Hall of Fame Member
I agree, he was definitely in consideration, but I’m giving weight to the match and series winners obviously, and his 10 wickets cost over 50 runs each. 37 wickets was outstanding enough imo. For someone on a losing side to win it would have to be a seriously impressive performance versus a more team focused effort from the other side. Perhaps he should share it with Whitty, ala Flintoff/Warne?
capt_Luffy
Hall of Fame Member
Probs. Faulkner really was a level above other Saffas with the bat and imo the Series is just too iconic for him.
MacLaren was an eternal pessimist, which didn't always help England's cause. His team for this match was quite an old one, with only Hobbs under thirty.
After World War One there was a strong temptation to present the pre-1914 era as some kind of lost paradise. Neville Cardus and AA Thomson were clever writers who knew how to milk nostalgia and give readers what they wanted. Their heroes were Northern professionals like George Hirst and Johnny Tyldesley, helping them tap into the market there.
Pelham Warner's The Cricketer magazine started around the same time in 1921, toeing the MCC line, clearly south of the North/South divide. The publication serialised Harry Altham's History of Cricket, which adopted the same establishment viewpoint.
Contemporary reports during the so-called Golden Age probably get nearer the truth. They suggest that Lord Hawke, chairman of selectors, could be swayed by public opinion. Another reason for continuing with his old enemy MacLaren as captain. The public were not aware of Blythe's mental problems and knew little about Barnes at this stage. They hadn't seen much of Douglas Carr either but his off-beat selection captured the imagination of the London populace in time for the match at The Oval. The Everton footballer Jack Sharp, better at football than cricket, was another guaranteed to generate column inches.
Criticism of England's fielding led to the selection of Kenneth Hutchings, who batted number eight at The Oval and bowled four overs. Another outstanding slip catcher, Ernie Hayes, was drafted in on his home ground, failing to reach double figures in either innings. By trying to please too many people the selectors ended up antagonising them all.
This was one of England's greatest-ever series victories. Pitches were good throughout. Only on the very last day of the series did rain make batting difficult. It was now that Barnes began to be spoken of as the best-ever bowler. Foster bowled a lot of leg-theory at the batsman's body. Douglas was not much of a tactician and was close to being replaced as stand-in captain after the First Test. But he was wise enough to seek advice from the professionals and treat them more or less as social equals, which was unusual for amateur captains at the time.
Hordern bowled exceptionally well for the hosts and wasn't far behind Barnes. The most consistent googly bowler to date, Mailey and others later ranked him ahead of Grimmett. Australian skipper Hill was not always given the team he wanted, and was particularly irked at being deprived of Macartney. The dispute with the Board was gathering momentum.