Famous Cricketers No 54 - Stan McCabe

Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5wi 10wm Test matches 92.3 22 205 9 4-13 22.77 - - Shield matches 48.5 10 115 7 3-57 16.43 - - Other matches 50.6 10 135 3 3-89 45.00 - - Season (6-ball) 92.3 22 } 455 19 4-13 23.94 - - (8-ball) 99.3 20 (6-ball) 429.3 104 } 2373 79 5-36 30.03 1 - (8-ball) 414.6 78 1932/33 This season was overshadowed more by controversy than anything else. Bodyline was a plan that Jardine, the England captain, devised to subdue the prolific Bradman, but the repercussions led to questions being asked by politicians in the Parliaments of both countries. McCabe made runs straight from the start of the season, with a top score of 43 for an Australian XI against M.C.C., 56 against Victoria and 91 before being run out from a direct throw by Gough against Queensland with 7 fours in two hours. For New South Wales against the tourists his innings of 67 included taking 18 runs from one of Verity’s overs. The first of his great innings was played in the First Test at Sydney, where Australia were 82-3 when McCabe came to the wicket. He made his intentions known straight from the start, with lightning footwork as he stepped back to the first short ball that Larwood bowled and hit it to the square-leg boundary fence. This was the start of a savage attack on both Larwood and Voce that eventually led to Jardine changing to an orthodox field, instead of the leg-side trap. Of course in a cavalier innings like this McCabe had his fair share of luck: many of his hooks and pulls either fell short or went over the fielders. Only two chances went to hand: these were at 159 and 170, both hard slashes to the slip and gully area. McCabe was hit on the body several times, one being a painful blow from Voce in the groin area, but with plenty of guts he still hit the next ball for four. McCabe reached his maiden Test century with a fine cover drive for four off Allen; it was completed in 161 minutes, and he finished the first day on 127. He had a partnership of 129 for the fifth wicket with Richardson in just over two hours; McCabe’s contribution was 72. Wickets then started to fall freely until Wall came in at 305-9. In a partnership of 55 in 33 minutes Wall’s effort was just 4; he was well protected by McCabe, who had scored 60 out of the last 70 runs added on the second day. McCabe finished 187 not out after facing 233 balls in a 242-minute stay, exactly a hundred coming in boundaries. Of his 25 fours, 19 were on the leg side, mostly hooks and pulls. Unfortunately, it was not enough to save Australia, as they lost by ten wickets. This was to be his only century of the summer. Jardine wrote of McCabe’s innings thus: “gave the spectators a treat which has hardly ever been equalled and certainly never excelled on the Sydney Ground”. Fingleton described it as “the greatest innings I have ever seen”. Warner said it was a “brilliant display of his hooking”. “McCabe risked bodily harm, flicking the fast-rising ball off his eyebrows as one brushes aside the flies with a swish; he beat back the enemy and then drove him in disorder” (Moyes). For the rest of the series, except for the Fifth Test, McCabe did not make any real contribution, perishing mainly in the leg trap. In the Fifth Test McCabe produced 73 in 172 minutes with 11 fours. The English tactics were not popular, but they were effective and England won the series 4-1. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 64. Australian XI v M.C.C., Perth, October 27, 28, 29 (Match drawn) b E.Paynter 43 159 36 7 87 2 M.Leyland lbw 583-7d 1 L.E.G.Ames b did not bat - 139-4 65. New South Wales v Victoria, Sydney, November 4, 5, 7, 8 (New South Wales won by nine wickets) c L.O’B.Fleetwood-Smith b H.H.Alexander 56 475 8 0 44 0 404 did not bat - 82-1 3 0 13 1 L.P.J.O’Brien c H.J.T.Theak 150 14