HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Australian Services XI was a
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
team comprising solely military service personnel during World War II. They became active in May 1945 after the defeat of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. The team played matches against English cricket sides of both military and
civilian A civilian is a person who is not a member of an armed force. It is war crime, illegal under the law of armed conflict to target civilians with military attacks, along with numerous other considerations for civilians during times of war. If a civi ...
origins to celebrate the end of the war. These matches were aimed at increasing morale in the war-ravaged English cities and as a means of reviving cricket after the conclusion of fighting. The end of the war marked the start of the 1945 cricket season.Perry, p. 102.
Plum Warner Sir Pelham Francis Warner, (2 October 1873 – 30 January 1963), affectionately and better known as Plum Warner or "the Grand Old Man" of English cricket, was a Test cricketer and cricket administrator. He was knighted for services to sport ...
organised a series of matches between England and Australian servicemen, known as 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 II ...
, to celebrate the end of hostilities.Perry, p. 103. However, Australian cricket administrators would not accredit the three-day matches as official Test matches,Pollard (1988), p. 366. arguing that there were not enough Test-level players in the armed services;
Lindsay Hassett Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victorian Bushrangers, Victoria and the Australia national cricket team, Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant Batti ...
was the only Australian who had Test experience.Whitington, p. 65. The side was composed of an amalgam of a
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
(RAAF) team, which had already been stationed in England during the war, and another group of mostly Australian Imperial Force (AIF) soldiers from Australia. The players were deliberately stationed with each other in England for the express purpose of forming a cricket team to tour the country, with Australian prime minister
John Curtin John Curtin (8 January 1885 – 5 July 1945) was an Australian politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Australia from 1941 until his death in 1945. He held office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), having been most ...
pushing for the immediate resumption of international cricket after the war was over. The team was officially a military unit, led by Squadron Leader Stan Sismey, the team's
wicket-keeper In cricket, the wicket-keeper is the Cricket player, player on the fielding (cricket), fielding side who stands behind the wicket, ready to stop Delivery (cricket), deliveries that pass the batsman, and take a Caught, catch, Stumped, stump the ...
. England were close to full strength, so the AIF and the RAAF teams merged to strengthen their quality. As a result, the Australian Services cricket team was formed under the leadership of Warrant Officer
Lindsay Hassett Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victorian Bushrangers, Victoria and the Australia national cricket team, Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant Batti ...
to compete in the Victory Tests.Perry, p. 104. The Australian team, despite being split by rank and service, all took their place in the side in good spirit and not much was made of the fact that Hassett, a
warrant officer Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ...
who was outranked by almost every other member of the team, was appointed captain.Jaggard, p. 66. The Victory Tests were greeted by packed English grounds, and raised a lot of money for war charities. Against expectations, the Australians managed to draw the series 2–2 against an England team filled with Test cricketers. As a result, the Australian government, cricket administrators and military officials ordered the team to travel home via India to play more fundraising matches, before finishing their campaign against the Australian state teams. By the time the team arrived in Australia they were extremely tired and their performances deteriorated, leading analysts who had not seen them in England to regard them as a weak team.


Personnel

The following cricketers played in at least one match.Jaggard, p. 77. *Warrant Officer
Lindsay Hassett Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victorian Bushrangers, Victoria and the Australia national cricket team, Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant Batti ...
(captain) (VIC) *Squadron Leader Stan Sismey (NSW) *Flying Officer
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 ...
(VIC) *Captain Richard Whitington (SA) *Flying Officer Jack Pettiford (NSW) *Flight Sergeant Jim Workman (SA) *Sergeant
Cec Pepper Cecil George Pepper (15 September 1916 – 22 March 1993) was an Australian first-class cricketer who became a professional in English league cricket and later a first-class umpire in England. An allrounder, he was the first to complete the dou ...
(NSW) *Flight Lieutenant Keith Carmody (NSW) *Flight Lieutenant Ross Stanford (SA) *Flying Officer Bob Cristofani (NSW) *Flying Officer Eddy Williams (SA) *Sergeant Charlie Price (NSW) *Warrant Officer Graham Williams (SA) *Flight Lieutenant Mick Roper (NSW) *Captain Albert Cheetham (NSW) *Flying Officer Reginald Ellis (SA) *Flying Officer Colin Bremner *Sergeant L.W. Maddison *Flight Sergeant J.C. Papayanni (NSW) The manager was Flight Lieutenant Keith Johnson from New South Wales. Only one player in the side, future Test captain
Lindsay Hassett Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victorian Bushrangers, Victoria and the Australia national cricket team, Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant Batti ...
had Test match experience.
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 ...
, Bob Cristofani,
Cec Pepper Cecil George Pepper (15 September 1916 – 22 March 1993) was an Australian first-class cricketer who became a professional in English league cricket and later a first-class umpire in England. An allrounder, he was the first to complete the dou ...
, Keith Carmody, Ross Stanford, Albert Cheetham, Stan Sismey, Dick Whitington, and Graham Williams were the players who had previous first-class experience. The spinner Reg Ellis and opening batsman Jack Pettiford had not prior experience at first-class level, but played for their states in Australia after making their debut for the Services. Charlie Price and Jim Workman made their debut during the Australian Services campaign and never played first-class cricket afterwards.
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 ...
, one of the ten inaugural inductees of the
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame The Australian Cricket Hall of Fame is a part of the National Sports Museum#Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum, Australian Gallery of Sport and Olympic Museum in the National Sports Museum, Australian Sports Museum at the Melbourne C ...
at the time only a batsman with Victoria, played what many consider to be his breakout series in the Victory Tests, ensuring that when he returned to Australia he would have a place in the Australian national team now referred to as ''The Invincibles''. In the batting department, Miller was the top-scorer; he scored 1,447 runs in 20 matches at an average of 49.89. Hassett scored 1,434 runs at 49.44 in 18 matches and top-scored for the whole campaign with 187. Opening batsman Whitington was the only other member of the team to score more than 1,000 runs. He totalled 1,054 runs at 35.13. On the bowling front, Australia was heavily dependent on its spin attack. The
left arm orthodox spin Left-arm orthodox spin or left-arm off spin, also known as slow left-arm orthodox spin bowling, is a type of spin bowling in cricket. Bowlers using this technique bowl with their left-arm and a finger spin action. Their normal Delivery (crick ...
ner Ellis took 72 wickets at 25.02, while the
leg spin Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in cricket. A bowler who uses this technique is called a leg spinner. Leg spinners bowl with their right-arm and a wrist spin action. The leg spinner's normal delivery is called a leg break, which spins fr ...
ner Pepper took 71 wickets at 32.47. The third highest wicket-taker was Cristofani, also a leg spinner; he took 34 wickets at 30.73.Jaggard, p. 78. Miller was the leading paceman, taking 29 wickets at 28.96. For
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 cons ...
s, Pepper also scored 987 runs at 36.55, while Cristofani added 558 runs at 27.90. Pettiford scored 768 runs at 38.40 and took 22 wickets at 41.86 with his leg spin. Graham Williams, the team's main strike bowler, had only been released from a German prisoner of war camp weeks before the series started,Jaggard, p. 61. and played at 31 kg (68 lb) below his pre-war playing weight. In between overs he drank glasses of glucose and water to keep his energy up, but when he was unable to bowl Miller took his place and demonstrated what a valuable pace bowler he would become in the future himself.


Omissions

Some players with prior first-class experience could not be considered for selection because they could not be released from the units in which they were serving, particularly those serving in the Pacific. These included
Arthur Morris Arthur Robert Morris (19 January 1922 – 22 August 2015) was an Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for ...
, Ian Johnson and
Ray Lindwall Raymond Russell Lindwall (3 October 1921 – 23 June 1996) was an Australian 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 ...
. Lindwall and Johnson went on to make their debuts for Australia in 1946 in the first post-war Test, while Morris made his debut in 1946–47 against England. All three became long-serving Australian Test players, and all three captained their country, Johnson for two years. Bill Brown had played regularly for Australia's Test team before the war, but was not available, nor was
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 ...
, who had made his first-class debut before the outbreak of war.


Chronology


In England

The Australians and their schedule was administered by Keith Johnson, a member of the Australian Board of Control and the
New South Wales Cricket Association Cricket NSW (officially known as the ''New South Wales Cricket Association'') is an Australian sporting association that administers cricket in New South Wales. It is based at the Sydney Olympic Park. The New South Wales Blues, the New South ...
. During World War II, Johnson served in the
Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...
(RAAF) and the rose to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and was deployed to London, where he did
public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...
work at the RAAF's overseas headquarters.Haigh and Frith, p. 97. Officially a military unit, the team's
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
was
Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...
Stan Sismey of the RAAF, although the on-field captain was
Warrant Officer Warrant officer (WO) is a Military rank, rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ...
Lindsay Hassett Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victorian Bushrangers, Victoria and the Australia national cricket team, Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant Batti ...
of the
Second Australian Imperial Force The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF, or Second AIF) was the volunteer expeditionary force of the Australian Army in the Second World War. It was formed following the declaration of war on Nazi Germany, with an initial strength of one ...
.
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack ''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" (or variations thereof) has been applied to ''Wi ...
praised the organisational work done by Johnson in arranging the services' programme in England: "A stranger to this country, he found the programme in only skeleton form; and that the tour proved such a success from every point of view was due to his hard work and courtesy." The almanack reprinted in full Johnson's "message" of thanks to English cricket before the team sailed to India. The First Victory Test started at Lord's on 19 May and was expected to usher in a new post-war era, which it hoped would be more aggressive and attractive.Pollard (1988), p. 360. The last Anglo-Australian Test series before the war had featured a large number of draws due to defensive play.Perry, p. 105. England won the toss and batted first. They batted steadily although none of their specialist batsmen managed to pass 57 and reached 4/205, before Miller came on as the fifth bowler and bowled his Great Massingham pilot colleague
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 play ...
for 45, precipitating an English collapse from 4/200 to 267.Pollard (1988), p. 362.Whitington, p. 72. Paceman Albert Cheetham took 3/49, while new ball partner Williams, spinner Reginald Ellis and Charlie Price took two wickets each. In reply to England's 267 from 100.1 overs, Australia reached 2/82 by stumps on the opening day, with Hassett and Sismey at the crease. The next day, Sismey fell for 37,Perry, p. 106. and Miller came to the crease at 3/136 and joined Hassett. Miller gradually progressed, undeterred by the fall of Hassett for 77 at 4/171. He put on 99 with Ross Stanford, who fell for 49 soon after Australia passed England's total, with the score at 5/270. Once Australia had taken the lead, Miller cut loose. After spending 40 minutes in the 90s, he finished with 105 in 210 minutes, with a straight six.Perry, p. 107.Pollard (1988), pp. 362–363. ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' opined that his innings was "as good a century as has been seen at Lord's in many a long day". ''Wisden'' said that he "was always getting runs with the soundness characteristic of most Australians".Harte, p. 386.
Harry Altham Harry Surtees Altham (30 November 1888 – 11 March 1965) was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His '' Wisden'' obituary described him as "among the best known personalitie ...
declared that "a brilliant new star had joined the cluster of the
Southern Cross CRUX is a lightweight x86-64 Linux distribution targeted at experienced Linux users and delivered by a tar.gz-based package system with BSD-style initscripts. It is not based on any other Linux distribution. It also utilizes a ports system to ...
".Whitington, p. 73. Miller put on 87 for the sixth wicket with Pepper, and although both feel in quick succession in a collapse of 3/9, Price and Williams put on a ninth-wicket stand of 88 to take the Australian total to 455, giving them a 188-run lead,Perry, p. 108. and the end of the innings marked the end of the second day's play. On the final morning, England batted steadily and their Test openers
Len Hutton Sir Leonard Hutton (23 June 1916 – 6 September 1990) was an English cricketer. He played as an Batting order (cricket)#Opening batsmen, opening batsman for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1934 to 1955 and for England national cricket team ...
and
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 batt ...
took the score to 52 before
leg spin Leg spin is a type of spin bowling in cricket. A bowler who uses this technique is called a leg spinner. Leg spinners bowl with their right-arm and a wrist spin action. The leg spinner's normal delivery is called a leg break, which spins fr ...
ner
Cec Pepper Cecil George Pepper (15 September 1916 – 22 March 1993) was an Australian first-class cricketer who became a professional in English league cricket and later a first-class umpire in England. An allrounder, he was the first to complete the dou ...
removed both. Jack Robertson top-scored with 84 and his
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
teammate Edrich scored 50 as England moved to 5/286 late in the day, an overall lead of 98. It appeared that England would be able to hold on for a draw, but they lost their last five wickets for eight runs to be all out for 294. Pepper took 4/80 and Ellis and Price two wickets each. This left Australia with a target of 107. Miller and Richard Whitington were both out with only 11 runs on the board, but Hassett and Pepper put on 52 runs quickly and Australia reached their second innings target with two balls to spare. Pepper was unbeaten on 54.Perry, p. 110.Pollard (1988), p. 363.Harte, p. 387.Whitington, p. 74. The last pre-war series between England and Australia in 1938 had been an attritional and hard-nosed contest, but in the afterglow of war victory, the cricketers played flamboyantly with abandon in front of a packed stadium. The attractive style of cricket was widely praised by commentators and the match raised £1,935 for war relief charities. The First Victory Test was followed by a month in which the Australian Services were not active as a team; the various players represented their respective RAAF teams during this time. The Second Victory Test was played at
Bramall Lane Bramall Lane is a association football, football stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which is the home of Sheffield United F.C., Sheffield United. The stadium was originally a cricket ground, built on a road named after the Bramall ...
in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
and started on 23 June, where the grandstands were damaged by German air raids. Hassett sent the Englishmen into bat,Perry, p. 111. and the hosts' innings was highlighted by their captain
Wally Hammond Walter Reginald Hammond (19 June 1903 – 1 July 1965) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Gloucestershire in a career that lasted from 1920 to 1951. Beginning as a professional, he later became an amateur and was appointed capt ...
, who scored exactly 100, supported by Washbrook, who scored 63. However, Hammond's dismissal was part of a collapse that saw the home side lose their last five wickets for 38 runs. Cheetham and Pepper took three wickets each, and Ellis and Williams both captured a brace. Australia moved to be 0/23 at stumps on the first day, but lost wickets steadily on the second morning, and were all out for 147; Keith Carmody scored 42, the only contribution beyond 21 by a batsman, while George Pope took 5/58.Perry, p. 112.Pollard (1988), p. 364.Whitington, p. 76. In the second innings, England went about extending their lead and Miller bowled a fast and hostile spell, hitting Test world record holder Hutton in the arm before hitting Washbrook in the head, provoking an angry crowd reaction, comparing Miller to the ''
Bodyline Bodyline, also known as fast leg theory bowling, was a cricketing tactic devised by the English cricket team for their English cricket team in Australia in 1932–33, 1932–33 Ashes tour of Australia. It was designed to combat the extraordinar ...
'' spearhead
Harold Larwood Harold Larwood (14 November 1904 – 22 July 1995) was a professional cricketer for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and the England cricket team between 1924 and 1938. A right-arm fast bowler who combined extreme speeds with great a ...
.Mallett, p. 73. He later removed Washbrook and ended with 2/28.Perry, p. 113. His efforts led to calls for him to start taking his bowling seriously, instead of simply jogging in releasing the ball, especially from former South African representative Bob Crisp.Whitington, p. 77. Miller's spell helped reduce the hosts to 7/122, a lead of only 261, but a rearguard fightback pushed the total to 190, leaving the Australians with a target of 330. England were bowled out at the end of the second day, so the Australians had a full day's batting to reach their target. The Australians started well, with their openers, Whitington and Jim Workman posting a century opening stand. However, both fell in quick succession for 61 and 63 respectively to leave the score at 2/121. Miller and Hassett took the score to 2/171 before Miller fell for eight. From then on, wickets fell steadily and Australia fell 41 runs short of the target and series was squared.Perry, p. 114. For England, Dick Pollard took 5/76. The Services then drew three non-first-class matches against Oxford & District, HDG Leveson-Gower's XI and
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
; the first two of these were one-day single innings fixtures while in the third Australia had a lead of 48 and reached 1/27 in their second innings when time ran out. In the Third Victory Test at Lord's,Perry, p. 121. Hammond won the toss and elected to bat. Despite his efforts in the previous Victory Test, Miller was only Hassett's fifth-choice bowler. When finally called upon, he measured out a run up.Pollard (1988), p. 365.Whitington, p. 78. Miller struck John Dewes before uprooting his off stump. However, Hutton, on his way to a century, was holding up his end. Eventually, Miller bowled Donald Carr for four and then removed Hutton's off stump. He ended with 3/44 from 18 overs. These two wickets helped to precipitate a collapse of 7/92 as England fell from 3/162 to 254 all out on the first day. Bob Cristofani helped clean up the tail, taking 4/43. Australia started their innings at the beginning of the second day. Their top-order failed and fell to 5/72, and it was up to Hassett (68), Carmody and Cristofani (32 each) to push the total to 194. Pollard took 6/75. Miller took the new ball in the second innings after his performances in the first innings. He bowled Dewes for a duck with an outswinger, before bowling Edrich for 58. Nevertheless, England were in a strong position at stumps on the second day at 3/118, an overall lead of 178, with Hutton unbeaten on 49. However, the home team collapsed on the final morning to be all out for 164, with Cristofani taking 5/49 and Miller taking 3/42. This left Australia a target of 225 in five hours. Sismey (52) and Workman (30) laid the foundation for the run chase with a second wicket partnership of 82. Miller came into bat at 3/104 and saw Australia to the target unbeaten on 71 with four wickets in hand.Perry, p. 124. C B Fry opined that Miller's innings was "superbly stroked and directed cover driving of the pace bowling formed the most telling and majestic feature". During the Sunday rest day of the Third Victory Test, which came after the first day's play, the Australians beat Gravesend Sunday Club in a single inningsgame. After the Third Test the Australians played in a non-first-class match against Yorkshire at Bramall Lane. The hosts scored 243 in reply to the Australians' 232; Hassett's men were 5/162 when time ran out. They then drew with
Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...
in and lost by 74 runs to the Metropolitan Police in single-innings one-day matches. They were narrowly denied a victory in the next match, against the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy were 7/139 in their second innings, with a lead of only 12, when time ran out. In the Fourth Victory Test, again at Lord's, Hassett won the toss and elected to bat. Whitington scored 46 and Sismey 59. Miller came in at 3/108 and after a slow start, scored another century, taking 170 minutes to reach the mark. At the end of the first day, Australia were 5/273 with Miller and Pepper at the crease. Miller was removed for 118 the next day.Perry, p. 126. He struck ten fours, all off which were driven.Harte, p. 388.Whitington, p. 79. Pepper continued and made 57 to help Australia reach 388. Pope and Pollard took four wickets each. England's batsmen replied productively; Laurie Fishlock scored 69, Hammond 83, Edrich 73 and Washbrook 112. They reached 3/249 by stumps on the second day and declared at 7/468. In the second innings, Miller came to the crease with Australia at 3/54 and still in arrears. He scored an unbeaten 35 to ensure that Australia would not collapse further and lose the match.Perry, p. 127. The public reception towards the Victory Tests resulted in an additional fifth match being added to the schedule.Perry, p. 128. A record attendance of 93,000 witnessed the Fourth Test at Lord's. In the lead-up to the Fifth Victory Test, the Australians lost a single innings game against
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...
and suffered a defeat by an innings and 89 runs
North of England cricket team The North of England appeared in first-class cricket between 1836 and 1961, most often in the showcase North v South matches against the South of England, although there were also games against touring teams, MCC and others. The inaugural North ...
in a two-day match at
Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
. In the final Fifth Victory Test at
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
, Australia won the toss and batted first. They collapsed to 4/66 under overcast conditions on a green pitch when Miller came to the crease. Against a swinging and seaming ball, Miller struck 14 from the first over that he faced and went on to finish 77 not out in a display that featured strong cutting and driving. However, he did not get much support from the lower order, with none of the last five batsmen passing single figures, including two run outs, and Australia could manage only 173 in 59 overs. Pollard took 4/78. Australia reduced England to 2/46, but a 97-run stand by Hutton and Washbrook took the score to 3/143 before both fell for half-centuries. Nevertheless, England were already 5/162 at stumps on the first day, having almost overtaken the Australians' score. The next morning, Cristofani took four wickets to dismiss England for 243 and ended with 5/55. Australia then collapsed to 6/69, still a run in arrears, when Cristofani came to the crease. He struck an unbeaten 110, while his teammates added only 41 for the remaining four wickets, as Australia were all out for 210. WE Phillipson took 6/48. England were left with a target of 141 on the final day, which they reached with six wickets in hand to square the series 2–2. Hassett wrote at the end of the series that "This is cricket as it should be...These games have shown that international cricket can be played as between real friends—so let's have no more talk of "war" in cricket". Miller topped the batting averages for the series, with 443 runs at 63.28. His aggregate exceeded that of Hammond and Hutton, who made 369 and 380 respectively.Pollard (1988), p. 367. Miller also took 10 wickets at 27.70.Mallett, p. 74. Of Miller's batting, Hassett said that "as a strokeplayer he is second to none".Perry, p. 132. his exploits in military teams led some to compare him to Jack Gregory, who had broken into top-flight cricket with his exploits with an AIF team immediately after the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The series was regarded as an outstanding success, with a total attendance of 367,000 and bright and attacking play. The English summer concluded with five more matches. The Australians defeated
Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...
by 103 runs in a two-day game and Leveson-Gower's XI by an innings and 108 runs in their last first-class fixture. This was followed by a low-scoring two-day match in which Australia lost to Surrey by three wickets; 37 wickets fell for just 327 runs. Australia then won two more single-innings games against Sussex and at Middlesbrough versus the Combined Counties.


In India

Due to the unexpectedly strong success of the Victory Tests, the
government of Australia The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national Executive (government), executive government of Australia, a federalism, federal Parliamentary system, parliamentary con ...
, led by foreign minister Doc Evatt, ordered the Australian Services to delay their demobilisation. With the team raising so much money for war charities, the government directed them to travel home via
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
for further fundraising matches for the
Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...
. The Australians faced an arduous schedule; eight of the nine matches were first-class; three were international matches, and four were against the zones of India. Miller, the vice-captain of the team, almost missed the trip to India after turning up late for the voyage.Perry, p. 139. The servicemen arrived in
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
and took a two-day train journey to
Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
to play North Zone. North batted first and made 410; Australia replied with 351, and Pepper top-scored with 77.Perry, p. 141. He then took 5/45 in the second innings and reduced the hosts to 7/103, but time ran out and the match ended in a draw. The Australians headed to
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
with another long train journey for a match against a Prince's XI. It was a high-scoring match in hot conditions; the Indian Test players
Vijay Merchant Vijay Singh Madhavji Merchant , (born Vijay Madhavji Thackersey; 12 October 1911 – 27 October 1987) was an Indian cricketer. A right-hand batsman and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler, Merchant played first-class cricket for Bombay c ...
,
Lala Amarnath Lala Amarnath Bhardwaj (11 September 1911 – 5 August 2000) was an Indian cricketer. He is considered to be the father figure of Indian cricket. He scored the first ever century for India in Test Cricket in 1933. He was independent India's fir ...
and Syed Mushtaq Ali all struck centuries in the hosts' only innings of 401, and Hassett struck 187 and 124 not out in Australia's 8/424 declared and 5/304. Hassett then rested as Miller led the team against West Zone in Bombay. Miller top-scored with 106 in Australia's 362. The hosts replied with 9/500 declared, with
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 E ...
scoring 168, as the match ended in a high-scoring draw.Perry, p. 142.Pollard (1988), p. 368. In the first match against
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
at Bombay's
Brabourne Stadium The Brabourne Stadium is an international cricket stadium in Mumbai in Western India, built in the British Bombay era. It is the home ground of the Mumbai men's and Mumbai women's cricket team, women's cricket teams. It can accommodate 50,000 pe ...
, regarded as unofficial Tests, Hassett won the toss and elected to bat. Unlike the Victory Tests, these games were four days long. After Whitington fell for four, Carmody and Jack Pettiford added 177 for the second wicket, and scored 113 and 124 respectively. Australia proceeded to 2/301; Hassett scored 53, before four wickets fell in the space of 25 runs. Pepper added 95 and Workman 76, as Australia totalled 531 in almost two days of batting.
Vijay Hazare Vijay Samuel Hazare (11 March 1915 – 18 December 2004) was an Indian cricketer. He captained India in 14 matches between 1951 and 1953. In India's 25th Test match, nearly 20 years after India achieved Test status, he led India to its first ...
took 5/109 and CS Nayudu 3/141. In reply, India reached 1/82 at the end of the second day. All of their batsmen made a start, none of the top seven scoring less than 24, but only Amarnath (64) and Hazare (75) passed 50. India were out for 339 just before stumps on the third day and were forced to follow on. Four Australian bowlers took two wickets. The second innings followed a similar pattern and all of the top five Indian batsmen passed 20 without passing 70. India reached 8/239 and were only 47 runs ahead, leaving Australia in striking distance of victory, but
Gul Mohammad Gul Mohammad , sometimes referred to as Gul Mahomed, (15 October 1921 – 8 May 1992) played Test cricket for India and Pakistan. He was educated at Islamia College, Lahore. Gul Mohammad was a small man who stood only 5' 5, but a brilliant a ...
and
Amir Elahi Amir Elahi (Punjabi: امیر الہی) (1 September 1908 – 28 December 1980) was one of the fifteen cricketers who have played Test cricket for more than one country. This honor was given to him because he had earlier played Tests for Indi ...
added 51 for the ninth wicket and pushed the total to 304. This left Australia with 103 runs to win in half an hour. However, the Indian captain Merchant placed all of his fielders on the off side and instructed his bowlers to deliver the ball wide. The Australians ended at 1/31.Perry, p. 143. Australia were still searching for their first win of the Indian tour when they took on the Indian Universities in a non-first-class match in
Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
. However, Australia managed 300 and then took only one wicket as their hosts reached 385 before declaring. Australia were 3/85 when time ran out. Conflict hit the team after the ineffective display against the students. The team, mostly made up of RAAF personnel, had been ill with food poisoning and dysentery, and travelled across the
Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
via long train journeys. The airmen wanted to travel by air, and tried to ask Hassett and manager Keith Johnson for air travel. When this was refused, they threatened to abandon the tour or replace
Lindsay Hassett Arthur Lindsay Hassett (28 August 1913 – 16 June 1993) was an Australian cricketer who played for Victorian Bushrangers, Victoria and the Australia national cricket team, Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant Batti ...
, an Australian Imperial Force member, with either Keith Carmody or
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 ...
, who were RAAF fighter pilots if their wish was not granted. With Bradman likely to miss the upcoming tour of New Zealand, the Services captain would be one of the leading candidates to lead Australia.Perry, pp. 145–146. Miller refused to plot against Hassett and the dispute ended when
Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...
Stan Sismey arranged for a RAAF plane already in India to transport the team.Whitington, p. 94.Pollard, p. 369. On the first flight to
Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
, the squad survived an electrical storm that caused the plane to drop altitude.Perry, p. 146. The team was scheduled to play East Zone in Calcutta, but the city was gripped in deadly riots as independence activists agitated against British rule. The match went ahead, but on the first day, thousands of protestors invaded the pitch, interrupting play for an hour. Elsewhere in the city, 23 people were killed.Perry, p. 147. Australia batted first and made only 107, before East Zone replied with 131. Led by Hassett's 125, Australia posted 304 to leave the hosts a target of 281. On the final day, Miller's friend
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 career with Middlesex. As a footballer, he played as a winger and spent most of his ca ...
, who was playing for East Zone while on deployment with the British Army in India, was nearing a century as his team closed in on victory. The pro-independence rioters broke through the security presence and invaded the pitch again. The leader of the demonstrators ran up to Compton and said: "Mr Compton, you very good player, but you must stop".Perry, p. 148.Whitington, p. 95. In later years, Miller would quote this remark whenever Compton came to the
crease Crease may refer to: * A line (geometry) or mark made by folding or doubling any pliable substance * Crease (band), American hard rock band that formed in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1994 * Crease pattern, origami diagram type that consists of all ...
in matches featuring both of them. Compton told the rioters to ask Hassett, saying that the Australian skipper controlled proceedings. Hassett smiled at the leader of the irate demonstrators and asked "You wouldn't happen to have a cigarette, would you, old boy?" The rioters calmed down and play resumed. Compton brought up his century with the winning runs.Perry, p. 149. In 2005, the ECB and
Cricket Australia Cricket Australia (CA) is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the 'Australian Board of Control for International Cricket'. It is incorporated as an Australian Public Company ...
decided that the player adjudged the Player of the Series in
the Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played biennially 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, ...
would be awarded the Compton-Miller Medal, recognising their friendship and rivalry. The second international match took place at Eden Gardens a week later. Merchant won the toss and elected to bat.
Vinoo Mankad Mulvantrai Himmatlal "Vinoo" Mankad (; 12 April 1917 – 21 August 1978) was a former Captain of Indian cricket team and appeared in 44 Test matches for India between 1946 and 1959. He was best known for his world record setting opening partn ...
, Hazare and Modi all made half-centuries and the hosts ended with 386 on the second day. Pepper was the most successful of the Australians with 4/120. The Australian innings was set up by a second wicket partnership of 218 between Whitington (155) and Pettiford (101). Miller came in 3/312 and then hit Mankad for four sixes from five balls,Whitington, p. 97. before falling to the said bowler for 82.Perry, p. 150.Harte, p. 390. This set up Australia's total of 472. India started their second innings late on the third day, and they declared late on the final day at 4/350, after Merchant (155 not out) and
Abdul Hafeez Kardar Abdul Hafeez Kardar PP, HI () (17 January 1925 – 21 April 1996) was a Pakistani cricketer, politician, and diplomat. He was the first captain of the Pakistan cricket team and one of only three players to have played Test cricket for both I ...
(86 not out) had put on an unbroken stand of 189. This left Australia with an unfeasible target of 266 in around an hour. The Australians reached 2/49 and the match ended in a draw.Pollard (1988), p. 370. Captaining the team, Miller took 3/19 and 1/8 in a match against South Zone in
Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
, the Australians' only win on Indian soil, by six wickets. The final match in India was the third and deciding match in the international series, at Madras. Hassett won the toss and elected to bat, but his batsmen collapsed to 5/103, when Pepper joined Hassett at the crease. The pair added 181, but their dismissals for 87 and 143 signalled the end of the Australian innings for 339 early on the second day after a collapse of 5/55. Shute Banerjee took 4/86 and
Chandu Sarwate Chandrasekhar Trimbak Sarwate (; 22 July 1920 – 23 December 2003) was an Indian cricketer and fingerprint expert. He was an all-rounder who played nine Test matches for India between 1946 and 1951 with no success — his Test batting aver ...
4/94. In reply, India fell to 4/110, before Amarnath (113) and Modi (203) rebuilt the innings, supported by Gul Mohammad (55) and Nayudu (64). The hosts were eventually out for 525 late on the third day. Pepper was the most successful of the Australians, taking 4/118. Australia faced an uphill task to save the match, and the opening pair of Carmody and Whitington added 133. However, wickets fell regularly thereafter and the tourists were all out for 275. Banerjee and Sarwate both took four wickets each for the second time. India then accumulated the 92 runs needed for victory, with six wickets in hand. It was not a happy tour for Johnson and his men on the playing arena. They lost the three-match series against India 1–0 and recorded only one victory, against South Zone. Australia ended the subcontinental part of the tour with victory over
Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
by an innings and 44 runs. Not wanting to wait a month for the next boat and a fortnight's sea voyage, the Australians returned to Perth by hitching a ride on a
B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...
. The pilot of the RAAF plane had already promised 14 friends a lift so that they would not be stuck in India for another six months, so the Australian team sat on the floor of the aircraft. They made it back to Australia despite suffering engine trouble and an overloaded plane.


In Australia

Johnson's team arrived in Australia late in 1945, but the armed services and Australian Board of Control ordered them to play another series against the various Australian states. The fixtures were meant to revive cricket following the war and were also used as a lead-up to the international tour to New Zealand in March 1946.Perry, p. 157.Harte, p. 391. The Services performed poorly; after playing consecutive draws against
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
and Southern Redbacks, South Australia, they were crushed by an innings by both Victorian Bushrangers, Victoria and New South Wales cricket team, New South Wales, before drawing against Queensland Bulls, Queensland and Tasmanian Tigers, Tasmania, the smallest state. The first match against Western Australia saw the hosts score 323, and the servicemen replied with 301; Miller top-scored with 80. The Western Australians reached 2/144 when time ran out. The second match against South Australia followed a similar pattern. The hosts replied to the Services' 314 with 319, and after Hassett's men replied with 255, the Bradman-led South Australians reached 1/130 when time ran out. Pepper took 4/100 and Ellis 5/88. In the next match against Victoria at St Kilda, Hassett's men were hammered. Ian Johnson took ten wickets for the match and the hosts bowled out the Servicemen for 118 and 182 to win by an inning and 156 runs.Perry, p. 161. Miller top-scored in both innings with 37 and 59.Whitington, p. 104. The military men had another difficult time against New South Wales cricket team, New South Wales, as their opponents made 7/551 declared, with Test batsman Sid Barnes scoring a century.Pollard (1988), p. 372. Apart from Miller, the Services batsmen struggled. Miller reached 74 as Services limped to 9/171. Services had no batsmen left with Pettiford injured and retired hurt, so O'Reilly allowed the List of cricket terms#T, twelfth man to Workman to be substituted in and allowed to bat, in order to give Miller a chance of making a century.Pollard (1988), p. 373. Miller attacked and scored 31 of the last 33 runs, ending with an unbeaten 105, with 11 fours in 172 minutes. He earned plaudits among cricket pundits on Australian soil.Perry, p. 162.Whitington, p. 105. Former leading Test batsman Alan Kippax opined that "Australia has unearthed a new champion",Perry, p. 163. claiming that he was finer than Jack Gregory and saying that "few batsmen I have watched have had his ability to blend beauty and power". O'Reilly said that Miller's century was "one of the best hundreds ever got against me". The Services were forced to follow on and were bowled out for 339 to fall to another innings defeat. The Services struggled against the leg spin of
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 ...
, who took 11 wickets in a drawn match against Queensland Bulls, Queensland. The hosts were 5/186 in pursuit of 190 for victory when time ran out and saved Hassett's team.Jaggard, p. 73. In the final match against Tasmanian Tigers, Tasmania, the Services came as close as they would to a victory on Australian soil. After taking a 97-run first innings lead, they set Tasmania 292 for victory and the hosts held on for a draw with only wicket in hand. They were 9/166 when time ran out.Perry, p. 164.Pollard (1988), p. 374.Whitington, p. 106. Johnson was involved in another administrative dispute during the Australian leg of the campaign.
Cec Pepper Cecil George Pepper (15 September 1916 – 22 March 1993) was an Australian first-class cricketer who became a professional in English league cricket and later a first-class umpire in England. An allrounder, he was the first to complete the dou ...
, whom teammates
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 Dick Whitington regarded as one of the best
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 cons ...
s in the world and a certainty for Australian Test selection, appealed for leg before wicket against Australian captain Don Bradman in the match against South Australia. The appeal was turned down and Pepper complained to the umpire, prompting Bradman, who was also a member of the Australian Board, to lodge a complaint about Pepper. Pepper was subsequently never selected for Australia. Cricket historian Gideon Haigh said that "Johnson was clearly upset by the affair, and also by the failure of the [national] selection panel [Bradman among them] ... to send Pepper, second only to Miller as a cricketer in the Services XI, to Australian cricket team in New Zealand in 1945–46, New Zealand".Haigh and Frith, pp. 98–99. Johnson tried to intercede on Pepper's behalf to no avail, although the other board members claimed that no directive had been given to the selectors to exclude Pepper. This capped a poor end to the long and taxing Australian Services campaign. As the military men played poorly in Australia, the national selectors concluded that their achievements against England must have been against weak opposition, and only Hassett and Miller were selected for the Australian tour of New Zealand.Perry, pp. 164–165.


See also

*
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 II ...


Notes


References

* * * * * * * *{{cite book, last=Whitington , first=Richard , title=Keith Miller: the golden nugget , isbn=0-7270-1424-2 , year=1981 , location=Adelaide, publisher=Rigby Publishers


External sources

* https://web.archive.org/web/20070928212531/http://www.ascacricket.net.au/Hassett_1945.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20120415101049/http://fulltext.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/1997/sportsf/sf970425.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20121104124329/http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/sa/content/2006/s1627653.htm Australian cricket in the 20th century Military sport in Australia Military cricket teams Australian first-class cricket teams Cricket clubs established in 1945 1945 establishments in Australia