testcricket

England v Australia 1928 : test cricket comes to Queensland By JOL Admin | 18 July 2013 The year 1928 saw the culmination of a long campaign to bring test cricket to Queensland. The admission of Queensland to the Sheffield Shield competition in 1926 had opened the door. International cricket had been played in Queensland since 1883 when an English touring side visited the state and played a match against the Queensland team but efforts to bring test cricket to Brisbane for the England tour of 1907-08 were unsuccessful. The facilities at the Brisbane Cricket Ground were not up to scratch and Queensland cricket authorities returned to the Exhibition Ground which had not been used for first-class cricket for some years. This move proved successful and on 30th November 1928, the first test of the series against England began at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground. The Brisbane Courier eagerly anticipated the first test. Supporters of cricket in Queensland have had their way after a long uphill fight, and Brisbane is to have a Test match. Two main reasons used to be advanced against holding one of the Tests in this city. The first was that the status of Queensland itself as a cricketing State did not warrant any change. That reason has lost weight, since Queensland now competes for the Sheffield Shield, and is recognised as a State of great cricketing possibilities. The other reason was that the wicket in Brisbane was not good enough for Test cricket. That objection also has been removed, for during the last visit of an English team to this city it was amply demonstrated that the wicket at the Exhibition Grounds could compare very favorably with the wickets in the South. Once a distinguished English cricketer opposed the holding of a Test in Brisbane "because Brisbane was too hot." Such an objection is not seriously raised nowadays, and we doubt whether that particular player was in earnest. There remains then for the success of Brisbane's first Test match only liberal patronage on the part of the public. There were no Queensland players in the starting eleven for Australia although local allrounder Ron Oxenham was the 12th man and took a catch to dismiss Sutcliff in the second innings. The side also included Victorian slow bowler Bert Ironmonger who was born in Queensland. Three Queensland players were featured in the other matches of the series. Otto Nothing, a medium-pace bowling allrounder played in the second test in Sydney. Ron Oxenham played in the last three tests and was joined in the last test in Melbourne by slow bowler Percy Hornibrook. This was the first time two Queenslanders had been on the Australian test team and both contributed to Australia's only winning performance of the series. Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/england-v-australia-1928-test-cri...

This was the final day of 2nd test between Australia & England held at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia won by 72 runs. www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/62431.html

NLA,thanks for sharing the historical photograph.

Percy Chapman: ‘The most delightful gentleman and an ideal captain’ – Almanack As a tall, polished left-handed batsman who, excelling in the off-drive and leg-side strokes, was generally willing and able to attack the bowling, he scored 16,309 runs, average 31.97, in a first-class career dating from 1920 to 1939. Of his 27 centuries, the highest and certainly one of the best was 260 for Kent against Lancashire, that season’s Champions, at Maidstone in 1927. The position when he went in was far from encouraging, half the side being out for 70 runs. Yet he and GB Legge (101) assailed an attack including such men as EA McDonald, the Australian fast bowler, Richard Tyldesley and FM Sibbles with such vigour that in two and a half hours they put on 284 runs. Born at Reading, Berkshire, he was in the Uppingham eleven for four years from 1916 to 1919, being captain in the last two, and soon attracted attention with splendid performances. Tributes to Percy Chapman Jack Hobbs I well remember the surprise caused by the appointment of Percy Chapman as the England captain for the final Test against Australia at The Oval in 1926. He was only 25 and all the team liked him. He was not a disciplinarian like his predecessors and he did not hesitate to seek advice. He often talked to me about tactics on the field and he set a great example with his brilliant catching in the slips. The Australian crowds loved him during the tour of 1928/29 when he made us a happy team. Billy Griffith I will always remember him for his debonair and aggressive approach to the game and as a great fielder. George Duckworth He was the most delightful gentleman and an ideal captain. He had such a persuasive charm as a leader that you could not help trying your utmost for him. Source: wisden.com/almanack/percy-chapman-the-most-delightful-gen...