Famous Cricketers No 54 - Stan McCabe

1930 - Australians in England McCabe must have struggled to come to terms with the conditions in England, as in the opening six games his best score was only 16. The Australian captain, Woodfull, tried to give him every chance and promoted him to opener for the Oxford University game, which paid dividends as he hit 91 in two and a half hours with 13 fours, sharing in a first wicket partnership of 172 with Ponsford. McCabe now followed this with 65 at Southampton, before coming up with 96 against the other students of Cambridge, striking 15 fours in a 115-minute stay, before being run out after “he impetuously started to run when Woodfull played a ball to point”. Sydney Morning Herald also described it thus: “he batted brilliantly and his drives were impossible to stop”. This was to be his highest score of the tour, but was good enough for him to be included in the First Test, where at the age of 19 years and 332 days, he became the youngest player to play a Test at Trent Bridge and the ninth youngest Australian. His first ball was driven for 4 off Robins, but he did not stay long as with the first ball of Robins next over McCabe was caught by Hammond off the shoulder of the bat. In the second innings Australia were set 428 to win and at 229-3 were in a good position, when McCabe was brilliantly caught low down by Copley at mid on, who was fielding as substitute for Larwood. This proved to be the turning point in the game that England went on to win. With the ball he took his first Test wicket, the notable scalp of Jack Hobbs. The Second Test is noted more for Australia’s first-innings score of 729 than McCabe hitting the winning run; this score was the highest yet achieved, beating England’s 636 against Australia in 1928, Stan’s contribution being 44 in 40 minutes with 8 fours. McCabe suffered in most of the Tests as, by the time he came to the wicket, Australia already had a big score on the board, e.g. 2nd Test 585-3, 3rd Test 423-3, 5th Test 570-5. Thus he often lost his wicket in an attempt to get quick runs for his team. McCabe finished the tour in much the same vein as he began it, with some moderate scores, getting himself into the teens and twenties, but not taking them any further. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 16. Australians v Worcestershire, Worcester, April 30, May 1, 2 (Australians won by an innings and 165 runs) c C.F.Root b G.W.Brook 15 492-8d - - - - 131 3 1 8 0 196 17. Australians v Leicestershire, Leicester, May 3, 5, (6) (Match drawn) b G.Geary 2 365-5 4 2 3 0 148 1 18. Australians v Essex, Leyton, May 7, 8, 9 (Australians won by 207 runs) c M.S.Nichols b H.J.Palmer 5 156 - - - - 67 c C.Bray b H.J.Palmer 6 264-6d 1 0 1 0 146 19. Australians v Yorkshire, Bramall Lane, May 10, 12, (13) (Match drawn) c E.Oldroyd b E.Robinson 16 320 3 2 2 0 155 20. Australians v Derbyshire, Chesterfield, May 21, 22, 23 (Australians won by ten wickets) c J.M.Hutchinson b L.F.Townsend 5 348 7 2 19 0 215 1 did not bat - 52-0 - - - - 181 21. Australians v Surrey, Kennington Oval, May 24, (26), (27) (Match drawn) c P.G.H.Fender b M.J.C.Allom 2 379-5 22. Australians v Oxford University, Christ Church Ground, Oxford, May 28, 29 (Australians won by an innings and 158 runs) b H.M.Garland-Wells 91 406-2d - - - - 124 1 1.1 0 5 1 I.A.R.Peebles b 124 23. Australians v Hampshire, Southampton, May 31, June 2 (Australians won by an innings and 8 runs) b W.G.L.F.Lowndes 65 334 151 1 175 24. Australians v Middlesex, Lord’s, June 4, 5, 6 (Australians won by five wickets) c H.W.Lee b G.O.B.Allen 31 270 - - - - 103 1 c G.O.B.Allen b G.T.S.Stevens 18 121-5 18 6 48 1 J.W.Hearne lbw 287 25. Australians v Cambridge University, Fenner’s, June 7, 9, 10 (Australians won by an innings and 134 runs) run out 96 504-8d 11 2 25 4 G.D.Kemp-Welch b 145 G.C.Grant c A.Hurwood H.R.W.Butterworth c A.Hurwood F.R.Brown c A.Hurwood 9