All Ten: The Ultimate Bowling Feat

95 Frank Tarrant The first day was a local holiday and Willingdon’s XI, captained by George Laverton (ex Harrow School), batted first on a fast true pitch in front of a large crowd. They made a good start, reaching 129 for two thanks to Edinburgh-born Thomas Kirkwood, who in his sixth, and last, first-class match contributed 13 (his highest ever score) to an opening partnership of 48, Kenneth Goldie (64) and Dolly Kapadia (43). A punishing batsman, Goldie could only play in England when home on leave from service with the Indian Army. When he did, he found a place in a strong Sussex batting line up - Fry, Ranji et al playing 64 times and scoring three centuries. After Goldie and Kapadia went nobody apart fromMirza Yusuf Baig offeredmuch resistance. Except for changing ends twice Tarrant bowled throughout the innings. He hit the stumps four times as well as persuading the umpires to judge three other batsmen leg-before. The previous best figures in India had been nine for 17 by Guy Napier (Cambridge University and Middlesex) for Europeans against Parsees, also at Poona, in September 1909. Napier lost his life six years later in the Battle of Loos. After Lee, who opened for the Maharaja’s side, went for only ten, wickets fell regularly and, although Tarrant was still there with 29 not out, a close of play score of 90 for eight did not bode well. However the following day Tarrant and S.Aikut (a number ten of no batting pretension) came together in an extraordinary partnership of 173 for the ninth wicket. It lasted 210 minutes and Aikut contributed just 5 before he was run out. Of partnerships between 150 and 199 runs only two other batsmen have exceeded Tarrant’s 87 % share. After his 182 not out the next highest score was 12! Three batsman have scored a century and taken all-ten in the same match. Tarrant’s was easily the highest individual innings of the three. After this there was relatively little time left for play and the match petered out into a draw. Even allowing for the fact that the opposition weren’t especially strong Tarrant’s had been a remarkable allround performance. Tarrant’s association with the subcontinent was to prove lucrative. He became involved in trading racehorses for Indian princes, an activity that generated more income for him than cricket ever had, and enabled him to buy property in Australia. He still remained involved with cricket however, including playing in a few first-class matches, helping in the organisation of Indian cricket (especially managing the unofficial Australian tour of 1935/36), and umpiring, including standing in 1933/34 (together with Surrey’s Bill Hitch) in the first two Test matches played in India. And finally, in 1936, he made his last first-class appearance, for Europeans against Hindus in the Quadrangular Tournament. At the age of 56 he bowled 43 overs taking four wickets, all Test cricketers, and made 78 and 18 against a strong Hindu attack. Frank Tarrant spent his final years in Australia. He died in Melbourne in 1951 a very wealthy man.