Top Bowlers in Test Cricket between the two World Wars

 

Clarrie Grimmett

Maurice Tate

Hedley Verity

Bill O'Reilly

Top Bowlers in Test Cricket between the two World Wars

The giants among bowlers between the two World Wars were the Australian leg-spin, googly duo of Clarrie Grimmett and Bill O’Reilly. Essentially a part of the dominant Bradman era. Between them they captured 352 wickets in this period. O’Reilly played one Test in 1946, bagging another 8 wickets. The English reposte came from the right-arm fast-medium Maurice Tate, who also bowled off-spin, and the slow left-arm orthodox Hedley Verity. They prised out 299 wickets during this period. These are the only four bowlers who bagged 100 wickets in the inter-war phase, and at fine averages ranging between 23.68 and 26.16.

The Aussie leg-break and googly specialist Arthur Mailey and the England’s left-arm fast-medium Bill Voce just missed out, snaring 99 and 97 wickets respectively. Voce took one more wicket after the war. The Australian slow left-armer Bert Ironmonger had the best average at 17.97 for his 74 wickets.

The best figures in an innings was 9 for 121 by Arthur Mailey against England at Melbourne in 1920-21. Hedley Verity had an analysis of 8 for 43 against Australia at Lord’s in 1934. The English slow left-arm orthodox Jack White took 8 for 126 against Australia at Adelaide in 1928-29.

The top haul in a Test was 15 for 104 by Verity against Australia at Lord’s in 1934, in what came to be known as ‘Verity’s Test’. This was followed by two superb analyses by Grimmett against South Africa four years apart. He captured 14 for 199 at Adelaide in 1931-32 and 13 for 173 at Durban in 1935-36. Mailey’s match figures against England at Melbourne in 1920-21 were 13 for 236. White, on his part, completed the Test versus Australia at Adelaide in 1928-29 with 13 for 256.

The first hat-trick came from the English right-arm medium-pacer Maurice Allom against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1929-30. England’s off-spinner Tom Goddard followed versus South Africa at Johannesburg in 1938-39.

The English fast bowling foursome Harold Larwood, Bill Voce, Gubby Allen and Bill Bowes captured 318 wickets between them in the inter-war period at fine averages in the 20s.

TOP WICKET-TAKERS (minimum 50 wickets)

Clarrie Grimmett (Australia, legbreak googly) 1925-36, Tests 37, Balls 14513, Wickets 216, Average 24.21, BBI 7/40, BBM 14/199, 5WI 21, 10WM 7

Maurice Tate (England, right-arm fast-medium, medium, offbreak) 1924-35, Tests 39, Balls 12523, Wickets 155, Average 26.16, BBI 6/42, BBM 11/228, 5WI 7, 10WM 1

Hedley Verity (England, slow left-arm orthodox) 1931-39, Tests 40, Balls 11173, Wickets 144, Average 24.37, BBI 8/43, BBM 15/104, 5WI 5, 10WM 2

Bill O’Reilly (Australia, legbreak googly) 1932-38, Tests 26, Balls 9910, Wickets 136, Average 23.68, BBI 7/54, BBM 11/129, 5WI 10, 10WM 3

Arthur Mailey (Australia, legbreak googly) 1920-26, Tests 21, Balls 6119, Wickets 99, Average 33.91, BBI 9/121, BBM 13/236, 5WI 6, 10WM 2

Bill Voce (England, left-arm fast-medium) 1930-37, Tests 24, Balls 5852, Wickets 97, Average 26.04, BBI 7/70, BBM 11/149, 5WI 3, 10WM 2

Jack Gregory (Australia, right-arm fast) 1920-28, Tests 24, Balls 5582, Wickets 85, Average 31.15, BBI 7/69, BBM 8/101, 5WI 4, 10WM –

Cyril Vincent (South Africa, slow left-arm orthodox) 1927-35, Tests 25, Balls 5851, Wickets 84, Average 31.32, BBI 6/51, BBM 8/149, 5WI 3, 10WM –

Wally Hammond (England, right-arm medium-fast) 1927-39, Tests 77, Balls 7963, Wickets 83, Average 37.77, BBI 5/36, BBM 7/87, 5WI 2, 10WM -

Harold Larwood (England, right-arm fast) 1926-33, Tests 21, Balls 4969, Wickets 78, Average 28.35, BBI 6/32, BBM 10/124, 5WI 4, 10WM 1

Gubby Allen (England, right-arm fast) 1930-37, Tests 22, Balls 4116, Wickets 76, Average 28.60, BBI 7/80, BBM 10/78, 5WI 5, 10WM 1

Bert Ironmonger (Australia, slow left-arm orthodox) 1928-33, Tests 14, Balls 4695, Wickets 74, Average 17.97, BBI 7/23, BBM 11/24, 5WI 4, 10WM 2

Bill Bowes (England, right-arm fast-medium, medium) 1932-39, Tests 14, Balls 3481, Wickets 67, Average 21.58, BBI 6/33, BBM 9/219, 5WI 6, 10WM –

AP ‘Tich’ Freeman (England, legbreak googly) 1924-29, Tests 12, Balls 3732, Wickets 66, Average 25.86, BBI 7/71, BBM 12/171, 5WI 5, 10WM 3

Walter Robins (England, legbreak) 1929-37, Tests 19, Balls 3318, Wickets 64, Average 27.46, BBI 6/32, BBM 7/68, 5WI 1, 10WM –

Ken Farnes (England, right-arm fast) 1934-39, Tests 15, Balls 3932, Wickets 60, Average 28.65, BBI 6/96, BBM 10/179, 5WI 3, 10WM 1

Learie Constantine (West Indies, right-arm fast, medium) 1928-39, Tests 18, Balls 3583, Wickets 58, Average 30.10, BBI 5/75, BBM 9/122, 5WI 2, 10WM –

Tim Wall (Australia, right-arm fast) 1929-34, Tests 18, Balls 4812, Wickets 56, Average 35.89, BBI 5/14, BBM 8/189, 5WI 3, 10WM –

EP ‘Buster’ Nupen (South Africa, right-arm fast-medium) 1921-36, Tests 17, Balls 4159, Wickets 50, Average 35.76, BBI 6

FULL CAREER

Bill O’Reilly (Australia) 1932-46, Tests 27, Balls 10024, Wickets 144, Average 22.59, BBI 7/54, BBM 11/129, 5WI 11, 10WM 3

Bill Voce (England) 1930-47, Tests 27, Balls 6360, Wickets 98, Average 27.88, BBI 7/70, BBM 11/149, 5WI 3, 10WM 2

Wally Hammond (England) 1927-47, Tests 85, Balls 7969, Wickets 83, Average 37.80, BBI 5/36, BBM 7/87, 5WI 2, 10WM –

Gubby Allen (England) 1930-48, Tests 25, Balls 4386, Wickets 81, Average 29.37, BBI 7/80, BBM 10/78, 5WI 5, 10WM 1

Bill Bowes (England) 1932-46, Tests 15, Balls 3655, Wickets 68, Average 22.33, BBI 6/33, BBM 9/219, 5WI 6, 10WM –

BEST AVERAGES (minimum 50 wickets)

Bert Ironmonger (Australia) 1928-33, Tests 14, Balls 4695, Wickets 74, Average 17.97, BBI 7/23, BBM 11/24, 5WI 4, 10WM 2

Bill Bowes (England) 1932-39, Tests 14, Balls 3481, Wickets 67, Average 21.58, BBI 6/33, BBM 9/219, 5WI 6, 10WM –

Bill O’Reilly (Australia) 1932-38, Tests 26, Balls 9910, Wickets 136, Average 23.68, BBI 7/54, BBM 11/129, 5WI 10, 10WM 3

Clarrie Grimmett (Australia) 1925-36, Tests 37, Balls 14513, Wickets 216, Average 24.21, BBI 7/40, BBM 14/199, 5WI 21, 10WM 7

Hedley Verity (England) 1931-39, Tests 40, Balls 11173, Wickets 144, Average 24.37, BBI 8/43, BBM 15/104, 5WI 5, 10WM 2

AP ‘Tich’ Freeman (England) 1924-29, Tests 12, Balls 3732, Wickets 66, Average 25.86, BBI 7/71, BBM 12/171, 5WI 5, 10WM 3

Bill Voce (England) 1930-37, Tests 24, Balls 5852, Wickets 97, Average 26.04, BBI 7/70, BBM 11/149, 5WI 3, 10WM 2

Maurice Tate (England) 1924-35, Tests 39, Balls 12523, Wickets 155, Average 26.16, BBI 6/42, BBM 11/228, 5WI 7, 10WM 1

Walter Robins (England) 1929-37, Tests 19, Balls 3318, Wickets 64, Average 27.46, BBI 6/32, BBM 7/68, 5WI 1, 10WM –

Harold Larwood (England) 1926-33, Tests 21, Balls 4969, Wickets 78, Average 28.35, BBI 6/32, BBM 10/124, 5WI 4, 10WM 1

Gubby Allen (England) 1930-37, Tests 22, Balls 4116, Wickets 76, Average 28.60, BBI 7/80, BBM 10/78, 5WI 5, 10WM 1

Ken Farnes (England) 1934-39, Tests 15, Balls 3932, Wickets 60, Average 28.65, BBI 6/96, BBM 10/179, 5WI 3, 10WM 1

Learie Constantine (West Indies) 1928-39, Tests 18, Balls 3583, Wickets 58, Average 30.10, BBI 5/75, BBM 9/122, 5WI 2, 10WM –

Jack Gregory (Australia) 1920-28, Tests 24, Balls 5582, Wickets 85, Average 31.15, BBI 7/69, BBM 8/101, 5WI 4, 10WM –

Cyril Vincent (South Africa) 1927-35, Tests 25, Balls 5851, Wickets 84, Average 31.32, BBI 6/51, BBM 8/149, 5WI 3, 10WM –

Arthur Mailey (Australia) 1920-26, Tests 21, Balls 6119, Wickets 99, Average 33.91, BBI 9/121, BBM 13/236, 5WI 6, 10WM 2

EP ‘Buster’ Nupen (South Africa) 1921-36, Tests 17, Balls 4159, Wickets 50, Average 35.76, BBI 6/46, BBM 11/150, 5WI 5, 10WM 1

Tim Wall (Australia) 1929-34, Tests 18, Balls 4812, Wickets 56, Average 35.89, BBI 5/14, BBM 8/189, 5WI 3, 10WM –

Wally Hammond (England) 1927-39, Tests 77, Balls 7963, Wickets 83, Average 37.77, BBI 5/36, BBM 7/87, 5WI 2, 10WM -

Jack White just missed the 50-wickets mark, ending up with 49 wickets at 32.26 in his decade-long 15-Test career from 1921 to 1931.

Among those who took between 25 and 49 wickets, the best averages were achieved by South Africa’s right-arm fast bowler George Bissett who played four Tests in only one series against England in 1927-28. He bagged 25 wickets at 18.76 apiece. England’s right-arm medium-pacer Alex Kennedy too played 5 Tests in just the series against South Africa in 1922-23. His tally was 31 wickets at 19.32.

The West Indies fast bowler Manny Martindale was next in the averages in this category with 37 wickets at 21.72 in 10 Tests between 1933 and 1939. He formed a fearsome fast bowling pair with Learie Constantine who took 58 wickets at an average of 30.10 in 18 Tests from 1928 to 1939.

The Indian duo of Mohammad Nissar and Amar Singh, both right-arm fast-medium, played in series against England between 1932 and 1936. Nissar captured 25 wickets at 28.28 in 6 Tests, while Amar Singh bagged 28 wickets at 30.64 In 7 Tests.