Clem Hill's Reminiscences

Notes on Players and Umpires 93 DUFF, Reg Stylish opening batsman and the other tragic half of the famous New South Wales and Australian partnership with Victor Trumper. Duff made centuries in his first and last of his 22 Test matches in which he averaged 35.59, but by the age of 29 he was alcoholic, and he died of a heart attack at 33. EADY, Charles Tasmanian batsman and fast bowler, whose twin centuries against Victoria in 1895 were the first time this had been achieved in Australian first-class cricket. In two Test matches he took seven wickets at 16 but had no success with the bat. Later prominent in cricket administration as chairman of the Australian Board of Control, he was also a long-time member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council. FARQUHAR, Wally New South Wales batsman who averaged 31.06 in 11 first-class games between 1894 and 1904. GARRETT, Tom Fast-medium bowler who represented Australia, aged 18 years 232 days, in the very first Test match in 1877, and toured England three times (1878, 1882, 1886). A solicitor, he later captained New South Wales and became a state and Australian selector. GEHRS, Algy South Australian middle-order batsman whose six Test matches spanned seven years for an average of 20.09. GIFFEN, George The world’s premier all-rounder at the end of the nineteenth century, he was described as Australia’s W.G. Grace and, like the original, could be single-minded, autocratic and fail to leave the crease when required. Giffen’s 271 and 16 wickets for 166 runs against Victoria in November 1891 is arguably the greatest all-round performance in first-class cricket history. He was also the first Test player to reach the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets. GIFFEN, Walter Much maligned younger brother of George who, as a batsman, averaged 1.83 from six innings in three Tests, failed to score a century in a first-class career which ran over nineteen seasons, yet gained a place in the 1893 Australian team which toured England at George’s insistence. Performed much better in senior Adelaide club cricket with 4,305 runs at 32.36. GRAHAM, Harry Aggressive batsman whose brief Test career yielded two Test centuries, one in his debut at Lord’s in 1893, and the other at Sydney in 1894-95. Both came at crucial times for his country. Later moved to New Zealand, where alcoholism led to incarceration in a mental hospital and early death at the age of 40. GREGORY, Syd Tiny New South Wales batsman with 58 Test matches over a span of 22 years and eight consecutive tours of England. Gregory made his highest Test score of 201 in the dramatic Sydney Test of 1894, when England won after following on, and captained Australia on his last tour in 1912 following the withdrawal of six leading players. GRIMMETT, Clarrie New Zealand-born leg-spinner whose days of plenty came after he moved to South Australia (following New South Wales and Victoria) at the age of 31 and went on to form one of the great spin bowling partnerships with Bill O’Reilly. When retirement was thrust upon him at 42 he had captured the world record of 216 wickets in 37 Tests between 1925 and 1936. HARRY, Jack Victorian all-rounder whose only Test appearance came in 1895 at the age of 37. His background as a miner may have been a factor in his previous omission. HARTIGAN, Roger Queensland batsman whose heroic Test century on debut and partnership with Hill at Adelaide Oval in 1908 gained him only one more Test match. Hartigan remained prominent in Queensland cricket administration and was the state’s delegate to the Australian Board of Control from 1919 to 1952. HAZLITT, Gerry Medium-pace off-spinner for Victoria and New South Wales who made his Australian debut at 19 at Sydney in 1907, but achieved little until his final match at The Oval in 1912 where he took 7 for 25 in the second innings. Hazlitt’s overall Test figures saw him claim 23 wickets at 27.08 in 9 matches. HILL, Roy One of five brothers of Clem Hill to play first-class cricket. An all-rounder, who was twelfth man for Australia on his home ground at Adelaide Oval in 1908, after taking career-best figures of 5 for 82 opening the