Top Batsmen in Test Cricket between the two World Wars

 

That Don Bradman dominated the batting landscape like a colossus between the two World Wars is stating the obvious. The Australian icon was the second-highest run-getter during this period, with 5093 runs in 37 Tests with 21 hundreds and 8 fifties. The English off-side powerhouse Wally Hammond amassed 6883 runs in 77 Tests, playing 70 more innings than Bradman, hitting up 22 hundreds and 22 fifties. 

Needless to say, Bradman averaged far higher than anyone else between the two wars, and indeed any other period in Test history. His average was 97.94, customary by his standards.

The next in terms of averages during this period, were names that would surprise no one:

Charlie ‘Governor-General’ Macartney, audacious Australian stroke-player, at 69.55 for his 1252 runs in 14 Tests.

Len Hutton, record-breaking English opener at 67.25 for his 1345 runs in 13 Tests.

George Headley, pioneer among West Indies greats, at 66.71 for his 2135 runs in 19 Tests.

Hammond at 61.45.

Herbert Sutcliffe, the resolute English opener at 60.73 for his 4555 runs in 54 Tests.

Eddie Paynter, England’s left-hander, at 59.23 for his 1540 runs in 20 Tests.

Jack Hobbs, the original master at 56.63 for his 2945 runs in 33 Tests.

Jack Ryder of Australia at 51.62 for his 1394 runs in 32 Tests.  

Among batsmen who just missed scoring 1000 runs were three who represented England:

K.S. Duleepsinhji at 58.52 for his 995 runs in 12 Tests.

CAG ‘Jack’ Russell at 56.87 for his 910 runs in 10 Tests.

George Ernest Tyldesley at 55.00 for his 990 runs in 14 Tests. 

The top-rungetters between the wars with at least 2000 runs were:

Wally Hammond (England), Tests 77, Highest Score 336*, Runs 6883, Average 61.45, Hundreds 22, Fifties 22

Don Bradman (Australia), Tests 37, Highest Score 334, Runs 5093, Average 97.94, Hundreds 21, Fifties 8

Herbert Sutcliffe (England), Tests 54, Highest Score 194, Runs 4555, Average 60.73, Hundreds 16, Fifties 23

Patsy Hendren (England), Tests 51, Highest Score 205*, Runs 3525, Average 47.63, Hundreds 7, Fifties 21

Jack Hobbs (England), Tests 33, Highest Score 211, Runs 2945, Average 56.63, Hundreds 10, Fifties 12

Maurice Leyland (England), Tests 41, Highest Score 187, Runs 2764, Average 46.06, Hundreds 9, Fifties 10

Stan McCabe (Australia), Tests 39, Highest Score 232, Runs 2748, Average 48.21, Hundreds 6, Fifties 13

Leslie Ames (England), Tests 47, Highest Score 149, Runs 2434, Average 40.56, Hundreds 8, Fifties 7

Bruce Mitchell (South Africa), Tests 32, Highest Score 164*, Runs 2399, Average 45.26, Hundreds 5, Fifties 15

Frank Woolley (England), Tests 42, Highest Score 154, Runs 2346, Average 37.83, Hundreds 4, Fifties 15

Bill Woodfull (Australia), Tests 35, Highest Score 161, Runs 2300, Average 46.00, Hundreds 7, Fifties 13

Herbie Taylor (South Africa), Tests 31, Highest Score 176, Runs 2234, Average 42.96, Hundreds 6, Fifties 13

George Headley (West Indies), Tests 19, Highest Score 270*, Runs 2135, Average 66.71, Hundreds 10, Fifties 5

Bill Ponsford (Australia), Tests 29, Highest Score 266, Runs 2122, Average 48.22, Hundreds 7, Fifties 6

What emerges from these figures is that there was no decline in the performances of the inimitable Don Bradman even after the seven-year break due to the Second World War. The same is true for the opening batsman par excellence Jack Hobbs who was brilliant either side of the First World War.

At the other end of the spectrum, Charlie Macartney began as a slow left-arm bowler before the First World War, but was an explosive batsman after the war with an average next only to Bradman between the two wars. George Headley was dubbed ‘the Black Bradman’ for his feats between the wars. He played two Tests in 1948 and one in 1954, which brought down his average, but still finished above 60.

Leslie Ames is the only wicketkeeper who figures in this line-up of top batsmen between the wars. He was without doubt the best wicketkeeper-batsman of this period. For all his elegant left-handed batting, Frank Woolley was an allrounder with 83 Test wickets at an average of 33.91.

Finally Duleepsinhji, like his uncle K.S. Ranjitsinhji, fell just short of 1000 Test runs. Ranji aggregated 989 runs in 15 Tests, Duleep scored 995 runs in 12 Tests. The uncle’s highest Test score was 175, the nephew’s was 173. Both had 8 scores of fifty and above.

The full Test career records of these great batsmen are:

Don Bradman, span 1928-48, Tests 52, Highest Score 334, Runs 6996, Average 99.94, Hundreds 29, Fifties 13

George Headley, span 1930-54, Tests 22, Highest Score 270*, Runs 2190, Average 60.83, Hundreds 10, Fifties 5

Herbert Sutcliffe, span 1924-1935, Tests 54, Highest Score 194, Runs 4555, Average 60.73, Hundreds 16, Fifties 23

Eddie Paynter, span 1931-39, Tests 20, Highest Score 243, Runs 1540, Average 59.23, Hundreds 4, Fifties 7

K.S. Duleepsinhji, span 1929-1931, Tests 12, Highest Score 173, Runs 995, Average 58.52, Hundreds 3, Fifties 5

Wally Hammond, span 1927-47, Tests 85, Highest Score 336*, Runs 7249, Average 58.45, Hundreds 22, Fifties 24

Jack Hobbs, span 1908-30, Tests 61, Highest Score 211, Runs 5410, Average 56.94, Hundreds 15, Fifties 28

CAG ‘Jack’ Russell, span 1920-1923, Tests 10, Highest Score 140, Runs 910, Average 56.87, Hundreds 5, Fifties 2

Len Hutton, span 1937-55, Tests 79, Highest Score 364, Runs 6971, Average 56.67, Hundreds 19, Fifties 33

George Ernest Tyldesley, span 1921-1929, Tests 14, Highest Score 122, Runs 990, Average 55.00, Hundreds 3, Fifties 6

Jack Ryder, span 1920-29, Tests 32, Highest Score 201*, Runs 1394, Average 51.62, Hundreds 3, Fifties 9

Bruce Mitchell, span 1929-49, Tests 42, Highest Score 189*, Runs 3471, Average 48.88, Hundreds 8, Fifties 21

Bill Ponsford, span 1924-34, Tests 29, Highest Score 266, Runs 2122, Average 48.22, Hundreds 7, Fifties 6

Stan McCabe, span 1930-38, Tests 39, Highest Score 232, Runs 2748, Average 48.21, Hundreds 6, Fifties 13

Patsy Hendren, span 1920-35, Tests 51, Highest Score 205*, Runs 3525, Average 47.63, Hundreds 7, Fifties 21

Maurice Leyland, span 1928-38, Tests 41, Highest Score 187, Runs 2764, Average 46.06, Hundreds 9, Fifties 10

Bill Woodfull, span 1926-34, Tests 35, Highest Score 161, Runs 2300, Average 46.00, Hundreds 7, Fifties 13

Charlie Macartney, span 1907-26, Tests 35, Highest Score 170, Runs 2131, Average 41.78, Hundreds 7, Fifties 9

Herbie Taylor, span 1912-1932, Tests 42, Highest Score 176, Runs 2936, Average 40.77, Hundreds 7, Fifties 17

Leslie Ames, span 1929-39, Tests 47, Highest Score 149, Runs 2434, Average 40.56, Hundreds 8, Fifties 7

Frank Woolley, span 1909-1934, Tests 64, Highest Score 154, Runs 3283, Average 36.07, Hundreds 5, Fifties 23

Two Indian rulers, Jam Saheb Ranjitsinhji of Nawanagar and Maharaja Vijaysinhji of Rajpipla excelled on vastly different turfs

Maharaja Vijaysinhji of Rajpipla and Jam Saheb Ranjitsinhji of Jamnagar are seated third and fourth from left in the front row.

K.S. Ranjitsinhji, Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, 

wizard of the willow

Batting, having already been defined by Grace, saw its next two stars descend from distant lands. If Prince Ranjitsinhji, later the Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, delighted with his artistry at the crease, the Aussie Victor Trumper provided the thrills with his panache. The very thought of Ranji conjures images of the leg-glance. He was the inventor of the shot, one that was patently his own and an early glimpse of the suppleness of wrists that characterised the batting of some later Indian stalwarts. 

Ranji worked hard to hone his talent, hiring professional bowlers from Surrey while he was at Cambridge. Simon Wilde wrote in his biography Ranji A Genius Rich and Strange: “He practised with as much purpose whether he had just been out for 100 or for 0. He was a severe critic of his own game, and if he was indeed a genius it was for his infinite capacity for taking pains, not for becoming a superlative cricketer overnight. He enjoyed theorizing about the game and putting those theories into practice.” 

The outcome was a batting style that was as unique as it was novel, and it perplexed the English. Cardus elucidated in Good Days (1934): “In the ‘nineties the game was absolutely English; it was even Victorian. W.G. Grace for years had stamped on cricket the English mark and the mark of the period. It was the age of simple first principles, of the stout respectability of the straight bat and the good-length balls. And then suddenly this visitation of dusky, supple legerdemain happened; a man was seen playing cricket as nobody in England could possibly have played it. The honest length ball was not met by the honest straight bat, but there was a flick of the wrist, and lo! The straight ball was charmed away to the leg-boundary. And nobody quite saw or understood how it all happened.” 

All those who saw Ranji bat vouched for the fact that he had an exceptionally quick eye and could hook the fastest bowling with ease. Though he had appeared in English first-class cricket since 1893, Ranjitsinhji’s first full season was in 1895 when he made his debut for Sussex against the MCC at Lord’s. He caused an immediate impact, carving out scores of 77 and 150. From then on he captured the imagination of the public and became a very popular, even mystical, figure. 

The next year at the age of 23, Ranji topped the first-class averages at 57.92, surpassing Grace’s record season aggregate by scoring 2780 runs, and equalling the great senior’s 10 hundreds. In a unique feat, Ranji hit up a century in each innings of a match on the same day. Resuming at zero not out, he notched up 100 and 125 not out for Sussex against Yorkshire at Hove. The English were reluctant to pick him in their Test side, but his huge popularity ensured that he was selected for the second match. Appropriately, Ranji became the second England batsman after Grace to score a hundred on Test debut, an unbeaten 154 against Australia at Manchester, having hit 62 in the first innings. In the process he nearly pulled off an improbable win. In the 1897 season, Ranji scored 1940 runs at an average of 45.12. He hit up his first double-century, 260 in just 250 minutes with 36 fours and a six against MCC at Lord’s, the highest by a Sussex batsman. 

Ranji never took the tedious sea journeys well. Prone to attacks of asthma, he was taken ill during the month-long voyage to Australia in 1897-98, even though he joined the team only in the south of the European Continent. He was still unwell when the first Test began in Sydney. Even so, he battled through, carving out a monumental 175, which was a record for England until R.E. Foster bettered it with 287 at the same venue six years later. Ranji’s knock enabled England to win their only Test in a series they lost 1-4. It was a productive tour for him personally, averaging over 50 in the Tests and over 60 in the first-class matches. In all he collected 1157 runs. At the end of the tour, Ranji returned to his homeland after a decade. 

Having missed the English season of 1898 as a result of a long sojourn at home, Ranji’s best came at the turn of the century, even though he was not quite as slim and his feet seemed not as nimble. In 1899 he became the first to score 3000 runs in a season. He bailed out England in the first Test at Nottingham, scoring 42 and 93 not out, and holding Australia to a draw. By the end of the series he had scored 970 runs in 12 Tests at a brilliant average of 53.88. He amassed 3159 first-class runs at 63.18 per innings. 

After a trip to the United States during the winter, Ranji’s 1900 season was just as brilliant. So irresistible was his form that he knocked up successive double centuries, both for Sussex - 222 against Somerset at Hove, and an unbeaten 215 versus Cambridge University at Fenners. Quite the master on rain-affected wickets, he breezed to 202 in three hours off the Middlesex bowling after a thunderstorm at Hove, the next highest by a Sussex colleague being 17. His five double centuries were a record for a season, bettered only by Bradman with six in 1930. Everton Weekes of the West Indies equalled Ranji’s five double tons exactly half a century later. The now-unstoppable Ranji logged up 3000 runs for the second successive season, this time scoring 3065 runs and topping the averages at a mind-boggling 87.57, hitting up 11 hundreds. 

1901 was yet another splendid season. Again Ranji scored two double centuries in a row, once more representing his county, an unbeaten 285 against Somerset at Taunton and 204 at the expense of Lancashire at the home ground of Hove. The first was an amazing feat, not only for the fact that it was his top score and the highest-ever by a Sussex batsman, but because he was out fishing the entire previous night! For the 1901 season his tally was 2468 runs at 70.51 per innings. In three consecutive seasons, Ranjitsinhji had totalled 8692 runs at an average of 72.43 with 27 hundreds. The wizard from the orient continued to enchant and befuddle at the same time. 

He did not sail to Australia in 1901-02 and, perhaps due to the troubles in his personal life, lost form dramatically in the Tests in 1902, managing just 19 runs in four innings and never played at that level again. He still finished with a Test average of 44.96, a splendid achievement at the time. In first-class matches, though, Ranji continued to blaze away till 1904 when he again topped the 2000 mark as well as the averages - 2077 runs at 74.17. 

Succession issues in Nawanagar kept Ranjitsinhji back in India, and he missed the next three seasons. He returned to England in 1908 as His Highness The Jam Sahib of Nawanagar, having being installed as ruler of the 3791 square miles, 13-gun salute princely State in circumstances so full of intrigue and danger as to render a racy novel hopelessly mundane. He played that season as well as in 1912, remarkably notching up 1000 runs each time. Ranji was seen on the cricket field one last time in 1920. Astonishingly, he played three first-class matches and, as was only to be expected, failed miserably. The fact was that his right eye had been removed five years earlier when on August 31 he had met with an accident while shooting grouse on the Yorkshire moors. This was soon after he returned from France, ending a brief and miserable stint in the army during the First World War. 

Peter Hartland summed up the impact of Ranji on the game: “The batting star of the Golden Age in England was Ranjitsinhji, with a first-class average of 56 - virtually as high as any English-qualified player has ever achieved and quite phenomenal for the time, particularly since he scored at around 50 runs an hour. Taking a qualification of ten thousand runs for all English batsmen who faced their first ball in the nineteenth century, Ranji’s first-class average is approached only by Sussex teammate Fry with 50. Test bowling did not slow Ranjitsinhji much, and the combination of his high average and scoring rate in relation to others really does mark him as out of the ordinary.” 

Ranji’s first-class average of 56.37 was the highest for a full career by an England-based player until as late as 1986 when Geoff Boycott retired with a fractionally higher average of 56.84. And if one considers that Ranji’s career was all but over in 1904; his appearances thereafter were sporadic in 1908 and 1912, and farcical in 1920, his deeds are even more astounding. Upto 1904, Ranji had scored 22,402 runs at an average of 58.49 with 65 hundreds in 267 matches, really in less than a decade. That is the true reflection of his genius. 

To the outside world Ranji was an exceptionally gifted prince who toiled diligently in the nets to emerge as the finest batsman of his era. Yet not many realised the inner turmoil that he undoubtedly underwent during his best years at the wicket, what with the drama of his adoption that never was, the machinations over his succession as ruler and his financial woes at the time. And he was laid low by illness for long periods. One has to marvel at the fact that he excelled at the game under these trying circumstances. Or more likely, he used them as a spur to motivate himself and to prove to those who mattered that he was fit to be king. 

Yet his charm transcended all the elegant runs that he made. As Jessop wrote: “From the moment he stepped out of the pavilion he drew all eyes and held them. No one who saw him bat will ever forget it. He was the first man I ever knew who wore silk shirts, and there was something almost romantic about the very flow of his sleeves and the curve of his shoulders. He drew the crowds wherever he went, and at the height of his cricket days the shops in Brighton would empty if he passed along the street. Everyone wanted to see him.” 

There was little doubt that Ranjitsinhji had transformed batting forever. As late as 1944, Pelham Warner wrote in The Book of Cricket: “With his wonderful eye and wrists, he could play back to almost any ball, however good a length, and however fast. Like Bradman, he seldom played a genuine forward stroke, for, again like Bradman he found that balls to which he could not play back he could, with his quickness of foot, get to and drive.” This ‘play back or drive’ method, however, could only be used by one with a sharp eye and quicksilver footwork, like a Ranji or a Bradman. English batsmen attempted to copy it with disastrous results. It takes someone extraordinary to play in an extraordinary way. Ranji scored more profusely than anyone had done before, just as Bradman was to do three decades later.

 

(Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh’s book ‘Don’s Century’) 

Half a million cheered “Good old Pip” 

 and the King hailed the triumphant Prince 

This is the story of a man who followed his dream, of a prince who set his eyes on a lofty goal, worked towards it assiduously, relentlessly and intelligently, with passion and patience, and eventually won the biggest prize of them all. Horses were the passion of Maharana Vijaysinhji, ruler of Rajpipla. He wanted to own the best horses in the world, and to win the most prestigious horse races devised by man. Minor successes did not satisfy the ambitious young man. He wanted dearly to reach the pinnacle, and did. That is why it is such an inspiring tale. 

Succeeding his father Maharana Chhatrasinhji as ruler of the 4,000 square kilometres first-class Rajpipla State in the Rewakantha Agency of the Bombay Presidency in the year 1915, the adroit Vijaysinhji established himself as a leading light of the Indian racecourses very early. In 1919 he won the first-ever Indian Derby, then known as the Country Bred Derby and run in Calcutta, with his Kunigal-bred horse Tipster, ridden by the famous Australian jockey ‘Bunty’ Brown. 

Having been bestowed with the title of Maharaja in 1921, Vijaysinhji then set his eyes on the centre of the Empire and travelled extensively the next year in the British Isles, Europe and United States of America, not just exploring the racing world and western society, but also studying the workings of modern governments, systems and institutions. He called on President Warren Harding in Washington, and visited New York to gain first-hand knowledge of the stock exchange. Back in England, he bought himself an estate near London on the banks of the Thames, with a 27-room Victorian mansion and extensive grounds, named ‘The Manor’ at Old Windsor in Berkshire. 

The world’s leading trainers and jockeys were regular guests at Maharaja Vijaysinhji’s sprawling seaside ‘Palm Beach’ Nepeansea Road residence at Bombay, and the grand ‘Sommerville Guest House’ at Nandod (New Rajpipla town), the capital of Rajpipla State. Steve Donoghue, an expert on the great Epsom Derby, was a visitor in 1924. Quizzed about the path to a Derby win, the legendary jockey advised his host to buy a good yearling or two every year. On returning home Donoghue purchased Embargo for the Maharaja that summer, and rode him to victory in the Irish Two Thousand Guineas as well as Irish Derby in 1926. Vijaysinhji, who had been knighted the previous year, felt convinced that he was well on the way to realising his big aspiration. 

Winning the blue riband of the turf was, however, not such an easy ride. A caller in 1932 was the celebrated trainer Fred Darling, whose input was to start breeding with good mares (which matter 75 per cent as the Maharaja himself held) and a proven stallion. And so the keen Vijaysinhji started a stud in England with Embargo as sire, even as he continued buying high quality yearlings. 

In July the same year, Darling’s protege Marcus Marsh, now training for the Maharaja, spotted a promising colt at the Newmarket sales, and received approval to purchase him. They named him Windsor Lad. The genial animal shaped extremely well under the tutelage of Marsh, a younger son of the late Richard Marsh who had trained three Derby winners for King Edward VII, and later trained the horses of the reigning King George V. 

In 1933 Windsor Lad won the Criterion at Newmarket. As a three-year-old in 1934 he finished at the head of the field in the 1 ½ miles Chester Vase and the mile-long Newmarket Stakes. His discerning owner was now certain that the colt had the requisite stamina as well as speed. 

The favourite for the Derby was the unbeaten Colombo, winner of seven races in 1933 and two in the current season of 1934. But he had not proved himself in a twelve furlong race, and Maharaja Vijaysinhji confidently stated that Colombo did not worry him. So sure was he of Windsor Lad’s prowess that in a signed article later he declared that he didn’t think he would win the Derby, he knew. 

An estimated quarter to half a million people began descending on the Epsom Downs right since daybreak on 6th June 1934. Around noon dark clouds drifted in and a sharp shower broke the three-week-long dry spell. Just at this time the royal cavalcade drove in led by the Rolls-Royce of King George V and Queen Mary; and followed by those carrying the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, parents of the present Queen Elizabeth II; other members of the family and the King of Greece. The Prince of Wales, who succeeded as King Edward VIII but abdicated soon, joined them a little later. 

There was a huge buzz around the race as usual, but more so for the prophesy of Gipsy Lee, made as far back 1868, that a horse with a ‘W’ in its name would win in 1934. There were also a number of uncanny coincidences around the number 13, which particularly enchanted the ladies, who backed Windsor Lad. 

They were off five minutes after the scheduled 3 o’clock start, and Donoghue on Medieval Knight set a fast pace by the side of the rails, with Colombo right behind. But reaching the top of the hill, the leader cracked and Colombo was baulked coming down the hill towards the iconic Tattenham Corner. Seizing the opportunity, Tiberius slipped through, pursued closely by Easton and Windsor Lad. 

Just after taking the big bend to the left, Tiberius began to fade and was passed. The dashing Charlie Smirke - returning after a ban of five years - soon breezed Windsor Lad along the rails past Easton. Meanwhile Colombo recovered and made a great run on the outside in the centre of the course. The crowd thought that the hitherto invincible favourite would carry the day yet again, and began yelling “Colombo wins”. In the final furlong the three horses were bunched closely together. At this moment Colombo’s stamina failed him even as Windsor Lad surged to the post, equalling the record of 2 minutes 34 seconds set up by Hyperion the previous year. 

The jubilant 44-year-old Maharaja was already a popular figure on the English racecourses and had been affectionately nicknamed ‘Pip’ by friends and the public alike. Now the multitude roared “Good old Pip” as he led his victorious colt back to the unsaddling area. Soon the King invited Maharaja Vijaysinhji to the royal box, high up above the finishing post, and raised a toast to this exhilarating win. 

Lady luck had indeed smiled on the Indian prince when Colombo got hemmed in behind Medieval Knight, but ultimately it was the deft training of Marsh, the speed and stamina of the muscular Windsor Lad, and the skill of Smirke that carried the day. 

No other Indian owner had won the Derby before, nor one after, in its history dating back to 1780. One of the first to congratulate Maharaja Vijaysinhji was his close friend the Aga Khan, himself a distinguished Derby winner. Dreams do indeed come true, if you persist long enough. During the Second World War, Maharaja Vijaysinhji donated three Spitfire aircraft named ‘Rajpipla’, ‘Windsor Lad’ and ‘Embargo’, besides a Hawker Hurricane ‘Rajpipla II’; and the headlines ran “Windsor Lad will fly”. The Maharaja was honoured with a GBE in 1945, and when the winds of change wafted in, he merged his State with the Union of India in 1948, bringing down the curtain on the 600-year rule of the Gohil Rajputs over Rajpipla State. 

(Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh’s book ‘A Maharaja’s Turf’)

On the eve of the Australia-India Test series 2024-25, flashback to Don Bradman’s 100th First-class hundred in 1947-48. Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh’s book ‘Don’s Century’

 

K.S. Duleepsinhji, Don Bradman and Lala Amarnath during India's tour of Australia in 1947-48.  

Appropriately, independent India’s first Test series was against Bradman’s Australians. The Don was a much loved and worshipped figure in India. It was said that apart from his own country, Bradman received the most letters from India. A succession of Indian cricketers from the captain of the 1947-48 team Lala Amarnath, to the present demi-god Sachin Tendulkar, spoke about their admiration and awe of Bradman, and many of them kept in regular touch with him, exchanging greetings and letters and speaking over the phone.

The Indian team missed a few of its top players. Vijay Merchant, who was designated captain, had to withdraw owing to health problems, as did Rusi Modi. Mushtaq Ali had a bereavement, while Fazal Mahmood, based in Lahore, was now a citizen of newly-created Pakistan. A fortnight before the Test series, there was a match between an Australian XI and the touring Indians at Sydney. Prior to this Bradman had scored his 99^th first-class century in a Sheffield Shield game. A huge crowd congregated at the Sydney Cricket Ground in anticipation of the great man’s 100^th hundred. The Indian team batted first and was all out for 326 on the second morning. Rob Lurie, Australian High Commissioner in India more than half a century later, was a wide-eyed young spectator on that historic occasion.

He wrote in a special issue of Cricket Talk in September 2000 to commemorate the 92^nd (and as it, sadly, turned out, last) birthday of Sir Donald Bradman: “The day was overcast. Bradman, by his standards at least, started sedately and for much of the pre and early after lunch sessions Miller was the dominant partner. So much so that when he reached his half-century before Bradman and to a rapturous reaction from the crowd, it looked as though the day belonged to Miller rather than to his captain. But a remarkable change came over the game as Miller suddenly seemed to appreciate this fact and went into his shell, working the strike so that Bradman had a good deal of the bowling and limiting his own flamboyant strokeplay to the occasional trademark and sublime cover drive. Bradman meanwhile got on with things with superb judgement, placement and running between the wickets until he reached 99 in the last over before tea. You can imagine how we all felt - Bradman later wrote ‘even in the most exciting Test match I can never remember a more emotional crowd nor a more electric atmosphere’.“

The High Commissioner continued: “Amarnath threw the ball to (Gogumal) Kishenchand. In my view this was a very shrewd move as Bradman like most of us in the crowd, had never seen him bowl, and the element of surprise can be critical at such a moment. Bradman was very careful with the first ball but the second he played off his pads on the on-side. As he and Miller ran through for the single, a huge cheer engulfed the ground and the Indian team rushed to congratulate a man they admired and liked. My family and I joined with many thousands in repeated singing of the refrain ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow’.” Bradman himself recalled that cherished instant in his Farewell to Cricket: “Finally, with my score on 99, Amarnath called on G. Kishenchand, who was fielding on the boundary. He had not bowled before and I had no idea what type of bowler he was. It was a shrewd move, as one could have so easily been deceived but I treated him with the greatest respect until eventually came a single to mid-on and the great moment had arrived.”

Don Bradman sprinting for the 100th run of his 100th First-class hundred.

High Commissioner Lurie added, “After tea Bradman cut loose and in 45 minutes scored an extraordinary, even by his standards, 72 runs marred only by the injury to a spectator by a very big six over long-on.“ Bradman revealed in Farewell to Cricket that he felt obliged to give the crowd which had so cheered his achievement some reward for its wonderful feelings towards him. 

It was unheard for anyone except those who played in English first-class cricket to log up a hundred centuries because nowhere else were sufficient matches played to enable a batsman achieve the feat. That Bradman reached the landmark is hardly surprising, and this only underlines the huge gulf between him and the others. Indeed Amarnath, in his brusque and inimitable way wrote in The Sportstar, “I always considered him a Derby horse; the others were horses before the cart.” Of the hundredth run of that famous innings, Raymond Robertson-Glasgow stated, “at the historical statistical moment, when Bradman was about to go from 99 to 100 there was the Indian bowler trying to deliver the ball with one hand and applaud with the other, a feat that is beyond the most enthusiastic practitioner.”

To give an idea of how difficult it was for non-English first-class batsmen to score a hundred centuries, Bradman scored 41 tons in four English seasons, but 72 three-figure knocks in his 14 full Australian seasons, not considering his first and last seasons, and two seasons during the war when he played just a few games. In England he scored more than 10 hundreds per season, while in Australia he averaged just above five centuries in a season. That was because he played 120 innings in those four English seasons, but only 197 innings in his 14 full Australian seasons. If Bradman was English he would have scored 200 centuries, wet wickets or otherwise. Hobbs - whose career was about a decade longer - scored 197 hundreds in 1315 innings (a century every 6.67 innings); Bradman hit up 117 hundreds in 338 innings (a century every 2.88 innings). (Hobbs’ tally was revised to 199 centuries later).

Back to his 100^th hundred, Bradman was determined to get it in that innings. That is why he began slowly, got his eye in, assessed the wicket and the bowling, and accelerated when well set. That is what he usually did, but on this occasion it might have been a bit more exaggerated. Indian vice-captain Vijay Hazare observed this tendency, and he said in an interview with Cricket Talk: “He used to take a lot of singles and rotate the strike in the initial phase of his innings.” C.S. Nayudu supplemented this as he told The Sportstar, “His footwork was lightning fast and I have not known a batsman with a better technique and class. After the initial period when he would gauge the pitch and the attack, it was almost impossible to contain him.”

Test Cricket - Records from inception in 1877 till beginning of First World War in 1914

 

The England team that played Australia in the first Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham in 1899. 

Back row: Dick Barlow (umpire), Tom Hayward, George Hirst, Billy Gunn, Jack Hearne (12th man), Bill Storer (wicketkeeper), Bill Brockwell, Valentine Titchmarsh (umpire).

Middle row: CB Fry, KS Ranjitsinhji, WG Grace (captain), Stanley Jackson.

Front row: Wilfred Rhodes, Johnny Tyldesley.

It was WG Grace’s final Test, while Wilfred Rhodes made his Test debut.

England were the leading team in the initial period upto the First World War, just ahead of Australia, with late entrants South Africa lagging behind.

TEAM PERFORMANCES

England - 1877 to 1914, Tests Played 123, Won 59, Lost 42, Drawn 22, Success % 56.91

Australia - 1877 to 1912, Tests Played 105, Won 43, Lost 41, Drawn 21, Success % 50.95

South Africa - 1889 to 1914, Tests Played 40, Won 8, Lost 27, Drawn 5, Success % 26.25

 

HIGHEST TOTALS

589 - England v Australia, Melbourne, 1911-12

586 - Australia v England, Sydney, 1894-95

578 - Australia v South Africa, Melbourne, 1910-11

577 - England v Australia, Sydney, 1903-04

576 - England v Australia, The Oval, London, 1899

573 - Australia v England, Adelaide, 1897-98

551 - Australia v England, The Oval, London, 1884

551- England v Australia, Sydney, 1897-98

528 - Australia v South Africa, Sydney, 1910-11

520 - Australia v England, Melbourne, 1897-98

506 - Australia v England, Adelaide, 1907-08

506 - South Africa v Australia, Melbourne, 1910-11

501 - England v Australia, Adelaide, 1911-12

 

LOWEST TOTALS

30 - South Africa v England, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), 1895-96

35 - South Africa v England, Cape Town, 1898-99

36 - Australia v England, Birmingham, 1902

42 - Australia v England, Sydney, 1887-88

43 - South Africa v England, Cape Town, 1888-89

44 - Australia v England, The Oval, London, 1896

45 - England v Australia, Sydney, 1886-87

47 - South Africa v England, Cape Town, 1888-89

 

HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL SCORES

Reginald Foster - 287, England v Australia, Sydney, 1903-04

Victor Trumper - 214*, Australia v South Africa, Adelaide, 1910-11

William Murdoch - 211, Australia v England, The Oval, London, 1884

Aubrey Faulkner - 204, South Africa v Australia, Melbourne, 1910-11

Syd Gregory - 201, Australia v England, Sydney, 1894-95

Clem Hill - 191, Australia v South Africa, Sydney, 1910-11

Clem Hill - 188, Australia v England , Melbourne, 1897-98

Jack Hobbs - 187, England v South Africa, Cape Town, 1909-10

Jack Hobbs - 187, England v Australia, Adelaide, 1911-12

Victor Trumper - 185*, Australia v England, Sydney, 1903-04

Wilfred Rhodes - 179 England v Australia, Melbourne, 1911-12

Joe Darling - 178, Australia v England, Adelaide, 1897-98

Jack Hobbs - 178, England v Australia, Melbourne, 1911-12

KS Ranjitsinhji - 175, England v Australia, Sydney, 1897-98

 

HUNDRED ON TEST DEBUT

Charles Bannerman - 165*, Australia v England, Melbourne, 1876-77

WG Grace - 152, England v Australia, The Oval, London, 1880

Harry Graham - 107, Australia v England, Lord’s, London, 1893

KS Ranjitsinhji - 154*, England v Australia, Manchester, 1896

Pelham Warner - 132*, England v South Africa, Johannesburg, 1898-99

Reggie Duff - 104, Australia v England, Melbourne, 1901-02

Reginald Foster - 287, England v Australia, Sydney, 1903-04

George Gunn - 119, England v Australia, Sydney, 1907-08

Roger Hartigan - 116, Australia v England, Adelaide, 1907-08

 

HIGHEST PARTNERSHIP FOR EACH WICKET

1^st Wicket - 323, Jack Hobbs & Wilfred Rhodes, England v Australia, Melbourne, 1911-12

2^nd Wicket - 224, Warren Bardsley & Clem Hill, Australia v South Africa, Sydney, 1910-11

3^rd Wicket - 242, Warren Bardsley & Charles Kelleway, Australia v South Africa, Lord’s, 1912

4^th Wicket - 221, Syd Gregory & Harry Trott, Australia v England, Lord’s, 1896

5^th Wicket - 192, Leonard Braund & Reginald Foster, England v Australia, Sydney, 1903-04

6^th Wicket - 158, Reginald Spooner & John Tyldesley, England v Australia, The Oval, 1905

7^th Wicket - 165, Clem Hill & Hugh Trumble, Australia v England, Melbourne, 1897-98

8^th Wicket - 243, Roger Hartigan & Clem Hill, Australia v England, Adelaide, 1907-08

9^th Wicket - 154, Jack Blackham & Syd Gregory, Australia v England, Sydney, 1894-95

10^th Wicket - 130, Reginald Foster & Wilfred Rhodes, England v Australia, Sydney 1903-04

 

OTHER DOUBLE CENTURY PARTNERSHIPS

1^st Wicket - 221, Jack Hobbs & Wilfred Rhodes, England v South Africa, Cape Town, 1909-10

3^rd Wicket - 210, Jack Brown & Albert Ward, England v Australia, Melbourne, 1994-95

3^rd Wicket - 207, William Murdoch & Henry Scott, Australia v England, The Oval, 1894

3^rd Wicket - 202 Warren Bardsley & Charles Kelleway, Australia v South Africa, Manchester, 1912

 

BEST BOWLING IN AN INNINGS

George Lohmann - 9 for 28, England v South Africa, Johannesburg, 1895-96

Sydney Barnes - 9 for 103, England v South Africa, Johannesburg, 1913-14

George Lohmann - 8 for 07, England v South Africa, Port Elizabeth, 1895-96

Johnny Briggs - 8 for 11, England v South Africa, Cape Town, 1888-89

Sydney Barnes - 8 for 29, England v South Africa, The Oval, 1912

Frank Laver - 8 for 31, Australia v England, Manchester, 1909

George Lohmann - 8 for 35, England v Australia, Sydney, 1886-87

Albert Trott - 8 for 43, Australia v England, Adelaide, 1894-95

Sydney Barnes - 8 for 56, England v South Africa, Johannesburg, 1913-14

George Lohmann - 8 for 58, England v Australia, Sydney, 1891-92

Colin Blythe - 8 for 59, England v South Africa, Leeds, 1907

Hugh Trumble - 8 for 65, Australia v England, The Oval, 1902

Wilfred Rhodes - 8 for 68, England v Australia, Melbourne, 1903-04

Sibley ‘Tip’ Snooke - 8 for 70, South Africa v England, Johannesburg, 1905-06

Leonard Braund - 8 for 81, England v Australia, Melbourne, 1903-04

Tom Richardson - 8 for 94, England v Australia, Sydney, 1897-98

Bernard Bosanquet - 8 for 107, England v Australia, Nottingham, 1905

 

BEST BOWLING IN A MATCH

Sydney Barnes - 17 for 159, England v South Africa, Johannesburg, 1913-14

Johnny Briggs - 15 for 28, England v South Africa, Cape Town, 1888-89

George Lohmann - 15 for 45, England v South Africa, Port Elizabeth, 1895-96

Colin Blythe - 15 for 99, England v South Africa, Leeds, 1907

Wilfred Rhodes - 15 for 124, England v Australia, Melbourne, 1903-04

Frederick Spofforth - 14 for 90, Australia v England, The Oval, 1882

Willie Bates - 14 for 102, England v Australia, Melbourne, 1882-83

Sydney Barnes - 14 for 144, England v South Africa, Durban, 1913-14

 

FIVE WICKETS IN AN INNINGS ON TEST DEBUT

Albert Trott - 8 for 43, Australia v England, Adelaide, 1894-95

Thomas Kendall - 7 for 55, Australia v England, Melbourne, 1876-77

William Ashley - 7 for 95, South Africa v England, Cape Town, 1888-89

Charles Turner - 7 for 55, Australia v England, Sydney, 1886-87

George Simpson-Hayward - 6 for 43, England v South Africa, Johannesburg, 1909-10

Monty Noble - 6 for 49, Australia v England, Melbourne, 1897-98

Frederick Martin - 6 for 50, England v Australia, The Oval, 1890

Frederick Martin - 6 for 52, England v Australia, The Oval, 1890

William Lockwood - 6 for 101, England v Australia, Lord’s , 1893

William Cooper - 6 for 120, Australia v England, Melbourne, 1881-82

Aubrey Smith - 5 for 19, England v South Africa, Port Elizabeth, 1888-89

Walter Lees - 5 for 34, England v South Africa, Johannesburg, 1905-06

Alfred Shaw - 5 for 38, England v Australia, Melbourne, 1876-77

Walter Heseltine - 5 for 38, England v South Africa, Johannesburg, 1895-96

John O’Connor - 5 for 40, Australia v England, Adelaide, 1907-08

Albert Innes - 5 for 43, South Africa v England, Port Elizabeth, 1888-89

John Saunders - 5 for 43, Australia v England, Sydney, 1901-02

Thomas Richardson - 5 for 49, England v Australia, Manchester, 1893

Robert Peel - 5 for 51, England v Australia, Adelaide, 1883-84

Robert McLeod - 5 for 53, Australia v England, Melbourne, 1891-92

Frederick Morley - 5 for 56, England v Australia, The Oval, 1880

Arnold Warren - 5 for 57, England v Australia, Leeds, 1905

Leonard Braund - 5 for 61, England v Australia, Sydney, 1901-02

James Middleton - 5 for 64, South Africa v England, Port Elizabeth, 1895-96

Sydney Barnes - 5 for 65, England v Australia, Sydney, 1901-02

Herbert Hordern - 5 for 66, Australia v South Africa, Melbourne, 1910-11

Walter Bradley - 5 for 67, England v Australia, Manchester, 1899

John Ferris - 5 for 76, Australia v England, Sydney, 1886-87

William Midwinter - 5 for 78, Australia v England, Melbourne, 1876-77

Frank Foster - 5 for 92, England v Australia, Sydney, 1911-12

Thomas Richardson - 5 for 107, England v Australia, Manchester, 1893

George Rowe - 5 for 115, South Africa v England, Johannesburg, 1895-96

Douglas Carr - 5 for 146, England v Australia, The Oval, 1909

 

TEN WICKETS IN A MATCH ON TEST DEBUT

Frederick Martin - 12 for 102, England v Australia, The Oval, 1890

Thomas Richardson - 10 for 156, England v Australia, Manchester, 1893

 

HAT-TRICKS

Frederick Spofforth - Australia v England, Melbourne, 1878-79

Willie Bates - England v Australia, Melbourne, 1882-83

Johnny Briggs - England v Australia, Sydney, 1891-92

George Lohmann - England v South Africa, Port Elizabeth, 1895-96

Jack Hearne - Australia v England, Leeds, 1899

Hugh Trumble - Australia v England, Melbourne, 1901-02

Hugh Trumble - Australia v England, Melbourne, 1903-04

Jimmy Matthews (1^st Inn) - Australia v South Africa, Manchester, 1912

Jimmy Matthews (2^nd Inn) - Australia v South Africa – Manchester, 1912

 

MOST CATCHES BY A FIELDER

Wilfred Rhodes (England) - Tests 47, Catches 51

Hugh Trumble (Australia) - Tests 32, Catches 45

Leonard Braund (England) - Tests 23, Catches 39

WG Grace (England) - Tests 22, Catches 38

Warwick Armstrong (Australia) - Tests 40, Catches 36

Clem Hill (Australia) - Tests 49, Catches 33

Victor Trumper (Australia) - Tests 48, Catches 31

Test Cricket - A World XI from the inception in 1877 upto the First World War

 

(from left), W.G. Grace, Frederick Spofforth, Sydney Barnes and Jack Hobbs.....four of the finest Test cricketers before the First World War.

It is a fascinating exercise picking a World XI from the inception of Test cricket in 1877 till the First World War began in 1914. Wickets in the 1870s and 1880s were very uneven and rough. They improved in the 1890s with the introduction of the heavy roller, and further still in the first 14 years of the 20^th century, but were still not as well prepared as in later decades. By today’s standards, wickets were heavily loaded in favour of bowlers, and they were uncovered. But those were the conditions the players knew then, and coped with them.

Here is a World XI of those times. I am sure readers would make a few changes based on their perception, but some of the players would be common in all lists.

1.   Jack Hobbs - England

Batting Pre-WWI 1908 to 1914 - Tests 28, Runs 2465, Average 57.32, Highest Score 187, Hundreds 5, Fifties 16

Batting Full Career 1908 to 1930 - Tests 61, Runs 5410, Average 56.94, Highest Score 211, Hundreds 15, Fifties 28

What stands out is that Jack Hobbs has been the greatest Test batsman in the pre-First World War period. He was just as great after the War till the end of his career in 1930. In fact the War divided Hobbs’ Test career into almost two equal halves, with no decline whatsoever in performance in the latter part. In 28 Tests from 1908 to 1914, the English right-handed master opening batsman scored 2465 runs at an average of 57.32 with 5 hundreds and 16 fifties, and a highest score of 187. Then in 28 Tests from 1919 to 1930, Hobbs scored 2945 runs at an average of 56.63 with 10 hundreds and 12 fifties, and a highest score of 211. The first batsman to average 50 in Tests, he carried his supreme form forward till his retirement from Tests almost at the age of 48. His final figures in 61 Tests were 5410 runs at an average of 56.94 with 15 hundreds and 28 fifties. He was consistency personified, adept on turf as well as matting wickets, on bouncy, turning and wet tracks, against pace and spin alike. It is well-known that Hobbs scored 100 First-class hundreds after 40 years of age. He played First-class cricket till he was nearly 52 years old, and finished with a record 199 centuries, a true master.

2.   Victor Trumper - Australia

Batting Pre-WWI 1899 to 1912 - Tests 48, Runs 3163, Average 39.04, Highest Score 214 not out, Hundreds 8, Fifties 13

The highest run-getters before the First World War were the top-class Australian opening pair of the left-handed Clem Hill, and the exquisite stroke-maker and highly proficient on wet wickets Victor Trumper. In 49 Tests from 1896 to 1912, Hill scored 3412 runs, the highest hitherto, at an average of 39.21. Trumper was just behind. In 48 Tests from 1899 to 1912, Trumper scored 3163 runs at an average of 39.04 with 8 hundreds and 13 fifties, and a highest score of 214 not out.

3.   W.G. Grace (Captain) - England

Batting Pre-WWI 1880 to 1899 - Tests 22, Runs 1098, Average 32.29, Highest Score 170, Hundreds 2, Fifties 5

The first batsman to score 1000 Test runs was the right-handed Englishman Arthur Shrewsbury. Playing only in the 19^th century, in 23 Tests from 1881 to 1893, Shrewsbury scored 1227 runs at an average of 35.47. There were three other batsmen who scored 1000 Test runs while playing only in the 19^th century, WG Grace, George Giffen and AC Bannerman. As we know, wickets in the 1870s and 1880s were very rough and uneven. They improved in the 1890s but were still far inferior to those later. The batting performances of these players is, therefore, very commendable. In 22 Tests from 1880 to 1899, the inimitable right-handed English opening batsman WG Grace scored 1098 runs at an average of 32.29 with 2 hundreds and 5 fifties, and a highest score of 170.

4.   Stanley Jackson - England

Batting Pre-WWI 1893 to 1905 - Tests 20, Runs 1415, Average 48.79, Highest Score 144 not out, Hundreds 5, Fifties 6

Bowling Pre-WWI 1893 to 1905 - Wickets 24, Average 33.29, Best Bowling 5/52, 5WI 1

The next in terms of Test averages after Hobbs, among batsmen who scored more than 251 runs before the First World War, was The Honourable F.S. Jackson or Stanley Jackson, the English right-handed batsman. In 20 Tests from 1893 to 1905, Jackson scored 1415 runs at an average of 48.79, with 5 hundreds and 6 fifties, and a highest score of 144 not out. He was a fine fast-medium bowler too, capturing 24 Tests wickets at an average of 33.29.

5.   K.S. Ranjitsinhji - England

Batting Pre-WWI 1896 to 1902 - Tests 15, Runs 989, Average 44.95, Highest Score 175, Hundreds 2, Fifties 6

The Indian right-handed wizard K.S. Ranjitsinhji just missed scoring 1000 Test runs. In 15 Tests for England from 1896 to 1902, he hit up 989 runs at an average of 44.95 with 2 hundreds and 6 fifties, and a highest score of 175.

6.   Aubrey Faulkner - South Africa

Batting Pre-WWI 1906 to 1914 - Tests 24, Runs 1717, Average 41.87, Highest Score 204, Hundreds 4, Fifties 8

Bowling Pre-WWI 1906 to 1914 - Wickets 82, Average 25.52, Best Bowling 7/84, 5WI 4

Batting Full Career 1906 to 1924 - Tests 25, Runs 1754, Average 40.79, Highest Score 204, Hundreds 4, Fifties 8                 

Bowling Full Career 1906 to 1924 - Wickets 82, Average 26.58, Best Bowling 7/84, 5WI 4

The king of allrounders of the pre-First World War period, the South African Aubrey Faulkner, appeared in 1906. He bowled leg-breaks and googlies. Till the War, he had scored 1,717 runs at an average of 41.87, and taken 82 wickets at an average of 25.52, in 24 Tests. His quotient then was 1.64, at par with the doyens Gary Sobers and Jacques Kallis, though the sample size is obviously much smaller. After the War, he played one Test in 1924, scoring 37 runs and not taking a wicket. His quotient fell to 1.53, still comparable to greats like Imran Khan and Keith Miller.

7.   Monty Noble - Australia

Batting Pre-WWI 1898 to 1909 - Tests 42, Runs 1997, Average 30.25, Highest Score 133, Hundred 1, Fifties 16

Bowling Pre-WWI 1898 to 1909 - Wickets 121, Average 25.00, Best Bowling 7/17, 5WI 9, 10WM 2

Monty Noble entered the scene in 1898, a couple of years after his compatriot Giffen had finished. Noble bowled right-arm medium-pace and off-break. He came close to becoming the first to completing the double of 2,000 runs and 100 wickets, finishing just 3 runs short. He hit up 1,997 runs at an average of 30.25, and bagged 121 wickets at an average of 25.00 in 42 Tests, his career lasting till 1909. His quotient is 1.21.

8.   Arthur Lilley (Wicketkeeper) - England

Batting Pre-WWI 1896 to 1909 - Tests 35, Runs 903, Average 20.52, Highest Score 84, Fifties 4

Wicketkeeping Pre-WWI 1896 to 1909 - Catches 70, Stumpings 22

Arthur Frederick Augustus ‘Dick’ Lilley made his Test debut for England in 1896. He played 35 Test matches till 1909, holding 70 catches and bringing off 22 stumpings. A right-handed batsman he scored 903 runs at an average of 20.52, with 4 half-centuries and a top score of 84. Dick Lilley came very close to becoming the first wicketkeeper-batsman to achieve the Test double of 1000 runs and 100 dismissals, finishing with 903 runs and 92 dismissals. Arthur Lilley was arguably the finest wicketkeeper-batsman up to the First World War.

9.   George Lohmann - England

Bowling Pre-WWI 1886 to 1896 - Tests 18, Wickets 112, Average 10.75, Best Bowling 9/28, 5WI 9, 10WM 5

The English right-arm medium-pacer George Lohmann, who played 18 Tests from 1886 to 1896, took 112 wickets at an incredible average of 10.75. It is the best average among bowlers who took more than 7 Test wickets before the First World War. He bagged 9 hauls of five wickets or more in an innings, and 5 hauls of 10 wickets or more in a Test. His best analyses were 9 for 28 in an innings, and 15 for 45 in a Test.

10. Sydney Barnes - England

Bowling Pre-WWI 1901 to 1914 - Tests 27, Wickets 189, Average 16.43, Best Bowling 9/103, 5WI 24, 10WM 7

There is little doubt that Sydney Barnes was the best bowler in the pre-First World War period. The English right-arm fast-medium to medium pacer played only in the 20^th century when wickets were far better for batsmen than in the 1870s, 1880s, and even 1890s. Appearing between 1901 and 1914, Barnes captured 189 wickets in just 27 Tests at an average of 16.43. That is a brilliant 7 wickets per Test. He bagged 24 hauls of five wickets or more in an innings, and 7 hauls of 10 wickets or more in a Test. His best analyses were 9 for 103 in an innings, and 17 for 159 in a Test. The other four bowlers who bagged 50 or more wickets with better averages than Barnes played only in the 19^th century when wickets were coarse and hazardous for batsmen.

11. Frederick Spofforth - Australia

Bowling Pre-WWI 1877 to 1887 - Tests 18, Wickets 94, Average 18.41, Best Bowling 7/44, 5WI 7, 10WM 4

The right-arm fast-medium Frederick ‘Demon’ Spofforth played 18 Tests for Australia from 1877 to 1887. He took 94 wickets at an average of 18.41. He bagged 7 hauls of five wickets or more in an innings, and 4 hauls of 10 wickets or more in a Test. His best analyses were 7 for 44 in an innings, and 14 for 90 in a Test.

12^th Man Wilfred Rhodes - England

Batting Pre-WWI 1899 to 1914 - Tests 47, Runs 1965, Average 32.21, Highest Score 179, Hundreds 2, Fifties 10

Bowling Pre-WWI 1899 to 1914 - Wickets 105, Average 24.90, Best Bowling 8/68, 5WI 6, 10WM 1

Batting Full Career 1899 to 1930 - Tests 58, Runs 2325, Average 30.19, Highest Score 179, Hundreds 2, Fifties 10               

Bowling Full Career 1899 to 1930 - Wickets 127, Average 26.96, Best Bowling 8/68, 5WI 6, 10WM 1

The Test career of the remarkable Englishman Wilfred Rhodes lasted for 31 years till 1930. He was a right-arm fast medium, and leg-break bowler. His career spanned the generations of W.G. Grace and Don Bradman, and became the first to achieve the feat of 2,000 runs and 100 wickets. He scored 2,325 runs at an average of 30.19, and took 127 wickets at an average of 26.96 in 58 Tests. His quotient is 1.11. Till the First World War, he had scored 1,965 runs at an average of 32.21, and took 105 wickets at an average of 24.90 in 47 Tests. His quotient at that time was 1.29.

There is little doubt that this team would pose a stiff challenge to a World XI from any era, even though technique has evolved considerably, many more skills added, and fielding, fitness levels and coaching methods skyrocketed in the last century and more. In fact, given the conditions in that era the modern day batsmen would find it very challenging if they were to play then, unpredictable and uncovered wickets, thin willows and rudimentary gloves and pads, no helmets or other protective gear like thigh pads and chest guards. Today’s bowlers though would revel in such a situation. But for natural ability and courage, the gladiators of the pre-First World War era would match players of any epoch.