Clem Hill's Reminiscences

85 Record partnership In the third Test in Adelaide England paid a heavy penalty for two missed catches. The game was all in favour of England when Hartigan and I became associated and began a record eighth wicket partnership of 243. 53 Australia made 285 in the first innings and England 363. On Australia going in for the second time Barnes soon got rid of Trumper and Macartney, and at the drawing of stumps we were four wickets down and only 55 runs ahead. Next morning Noble left with two runs added, and although Ransford and O’Connor put on 44 the seventh wicket fell at 179. The Englishmen were in a very strong position. Interstate visitors were so certain that the end was approaching that they booked berths by the afternoon’s train. Hartigan of Queensland was the next in. This was his first Test. I had taken very little part in the match, as I was suffering acutely from gastric influenza. I batted on Friday but was in bed on the Saturday and Sunday and Monday, and my brother Roy, who was twelfth man, fielded as substitute for me. On the Tuesday I was feeling a little better, so went along to the Oval. With the score at seven for 180, or only 102 ahead and only Carter and Saunders to follow, I joined Hartigan. Early in the innings of both of us the Englishmen missed catches which proved very expensive to them, and cost them the match. Hartigan, when he was 32, cocked one up from the edge of his bat to point. Fielder made a dive and gathered the ball in his hands, but it went through to the ground. When I was 22 I sent an easy one from Rhodes straight to Barnes at mid-off and he dropped it. I was so certain that he would accept it that I started for the pavilion. Then Hartigan and I settled down, and began to pile up our mammoth score. The Queenslander was inclined to have a hit at balls on the off but I advised him to leave them alone. The doctor had given me some tablets to take. I don’t know what they contained but they enabled me to keep going. I was ill many times on the field. It was very hot weather, the temperature reaching as high as 111. [43.8 degrees Celsius] When play ended for the day it was 105 and I was 106. We had completely altered the complexion of the game. Hartigan went at 116 next morning and I went on to 160. The innings closed for 506. England, after looking like certain winners, were defeated by 245 runs. Australia won the fourth Test in Melbourne with 308 runs to spare. Fortune was against the Englishmen, as they had to bat on a pitch ruined by rain. The feature of the fifth Test in Sydney was a brilliant score of 166 by Trumper. He pulled the game right round, thus making amends for a pair of ducks in the previous match. Australia won by 49 runs. Jones’ Tour of Australia 53 Still the record for Australia against all countries in Test cricket.