Percy Stanislaus McDonnell (13 November 1858 – 24 September 1896
— '' Australian Dictionary of Biography'') was an Australian

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er who captained the Australian Test team in six matches, including the tour of England in 1888. McDonnell was born in

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in 1858, son of Morgan McDonnell and his wife Frances Marie, née Bonham. In 1864 the family migrated to

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, where he was educated at St Patrick's College, East Melbourne and Xavier College. He played for the Melbourne Cricket Club First XI while still at Xavier, and made his first-class debut for Victoria at the age of 17. Ray Robinson, ''On Top Down Under'', Cassell Australia, Stanmore, 1976, pp. 49–54. McDonnell was an attacking batsman and his averages are among the very best of his era. His top Test score of 147Profile of Percy McDonnell
— ''

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'' was made in a partnership of 199 with Alick Bannerman at the Sydney Cricket Ground when the other 9 batsman in the team contributed 29 to the team score. In 1886/87, McDonnell became the first Test captain ever to win the toss and elect to field. He had mixed results. England were dismissed for just 45, but nonetheless won the match. McDonnell married Grace McDonald in

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in April 1891. They had two sons. He died of cardiac failure at his South Brisbane residence in September 1896, aged 37. His funeral proceeded from his home to the Toowong Cemetery.McDonnell Percy Stanislaus
— Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search

Gallery

Image:Aus1888Team.jpg, 1888 Australian team in England, captained by Percy McDonnell Image:Percy McDonnell graph.png, Percy McDonnell's Test career batting graph. Image:Percymcdonnellgrave.JPG, Percy McDonnell's grave.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McDonnell, Percy 1858 births 1896 deaths Cricketers from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea People from Kensington People educated at Xavier College Australia Test cricketers Australia Test cricket captains Queensland cricketers New South Wales cricketers Victoria cricketers Melbourne Cricket Club cricketers Burials at Toowong Cemetery Australian cricketers English emigrants to colonial Australia 19th-century Australian sportsmen British emigrants to the Colony of Queensland