Clem Hill's Reminiscences

MASSIE, Jack Son of Hugh and the greatest loss to Australian cricket as a result of injuries sustained in the First World War. Prior to that a brilliant left-arm fast-medium bowler for New South Wales who took 99 wickets at 18.38 from 16 matches. MINNETT, Roy New South Wales all-rounder who was unlucky not to make a century in his first Test in Sydney in 1911, but whose nine match Test career (391 runs at 26.06 and 11 wickets at 26.36) was over within a year. MURDOCH, William A forgotten member of the great triumvirate of early Test figures, along with W.G. Grace and Fred Spofforth. Captained four Australian teams to England (1880, 1882, 1884, 1890), scored the first double-century in Test cricket, and the first triple-hundred in Australian intercolonial cricket. Migrated to England in 1891 and represented England in South Africa in 1891-92, and Sussex from 1893 to 1899. NOBLE, Monty Dominant all-rounder, captain, selector, administrator and early broadcaster. As a batsman Noble possessed enormous powers of concentration and his medium-paced off-spinners could be devastating. In 42 Tests he scored 1,997 runs at 30.25 and took 121 wickets at 25.00. NOEL, Jack Regular South Australian representative between 1880 and 1895, his most famous score was 18 out of SA’s total of 23 against Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March, 1883. O’CONNOR, Jack Fast-medium bowler with New South Wales and South Australia, who took 8 for 150 in his Australian debut at Adelaide Oval in 1908, but did little in three Tests thereafter. O’REILLY, Bill (‘Tiger’) Medium-pace leg-spinner whom Don Bradman rated the greatest bowler of his time. In first-class cricket between 1927 and 1946 he boasted a phenomenal bowling return of 774 wickets at 16.60 and in 27 Tests he captured 144 wickets at 22.59. ORR, Herbert English-born Cambridge University middle-order batsman who captained Western Australia in its first two first-class matches in 1893. PHILLIPS, Jim Player-umpire whose careers in different departments of the game frequently overlapped. Medium-pace bowler with Victoria, Middlesex and Canterbury, New Zealand between 1885 and 1899 and Test umpire who appeared in 29 matches in Australia, England and South Africa between 1884 and 1906. POPE, Rowley New South Wales batsman whose single Test match for Australia came during a team mutiny at Melbourne in 1884-85, and whose seven year first-class career saw him fail to reach 50 in an innings. After qualifying as an ophthalmic surgeon, he became Australian cricket’s best known hanger-on in the 1920s and 1930s. RANSFORD, Vernon Left-hand Victorian middle-order batsman with strong off-side strokes, who scored a brilliant 143 not out in his second Test at Lord’s in 1909, but whose 20 match Test career, average 37.84, ended prematurely at 27. SAUNDERS, Jack Medium-paced left-arm spinner with a questionable action, his greatest series was against England in 1907-08, when he took 31 wickets at 23.09. From 14 Tests he gathered 79 wickets at 22.73. SPOFFORTH, Fred Australia’s first great bowler, forever linked with the Ashes legend through his destruction of England with 14 wickets for 90 runs in The Oval Test of 1882. In 18 Tests he took 94 wickets at 18.41. Later moved to England and played county cricket briefly with Derbyshire. TROTT, Albert Heavy hitting, big-spinning all-rounder who was lost to Australian cricket after a selection blunder in 1896. Subsequently plied his trade with Middlesex, making 10,696 runs and taking 1,674 wickets, before succumbing to alcohol and taking his own life at 41 years of age. TROTT, Harry Wily all-rounder, clean hitting batsman and leg-spin bowler whose first-class career for Victoria spanned 22 seasons and who played 24 Test matches between 1888 and 1898. Trott’s greatest innings and sole Test century was his 143 at Lord’s in 1896 and he was a resourceful Australian captain in eight Tests. TRUMBLE, Hugh Rangy Victorian off-spinning all-rounder who took time to Notes on Players and Umpires 95