Famous Cricketers No 57 - W. M. Woodfull

Larwood. This was a “remarkable display as he made no mistake in conditions definitely against the batsman”. He did not bat in the second innings as he was suffering from influenza. This caused him to miss a Shield and an Australian XI game. In his next game, he repeated his MCC performance. This time he carried his bat for 30* during the First Test at Brisbane. Even though Australia batted two men short, it was still a fine effort as “overnight rain had made batting tricky on a wet fifth-day pitch”. Wisden thought he “batted splendidly receiving no support at all”. England’s winning margin of 675 runs is still the biggest by runs alone ever achieved in Australia. Woodfull became the first Australian to carry his bat in a Test in Australia. Even though England won four Tests, Woodfull scored three centuries. His first innings 68 at Sydney was easily the top score and he followed this with 111 in the second. In this innings, when on ten, he played a ball onto his stumps from Tate which fortunately did not dislodge a bail. He added 215 for the second wicket with Hendry. His 107 at Melbourne was a chanceless knock and he batted uncommonly well, “his defence all through was wonderful”. A “careful and chanceless 102 in 325 minutes” set up Australia’s only win, in the last Test played in Melbourne. His 102 only contained three boundaries, the least amount ever hit in an Australia- England Test match. In between the Tests, Woodfull scored another hundred against the MCC for Victoria, giving him three centuries in three innings at Melbourne against them. This later effort (275*) was his career-best in Australia. He should have carried his bat for the third time in the season against England as Victoria were nine down when Ryder declared. The declaration came when Larwood started to bowl aggressively to 50 year old Bert Ironmonger, reputedly the worst batsman to ever play for his State. Ryder closed the innings to prevent Bert being injured. Woodfull’s 275* “came in 459 minutes and he was on the field throughout the match”. It was a “typical display with scarcely a bad stroke”. This innings is still the highest by a Victorian player against an MCC team, although Cowper hit 307 in a Melbourne Test in 1965/66. During the season Woodfull missed several Shield matches which either clashed with Tests or which gave him too little a break before a Test. Reflecting on the limited amount of Test cricket played during this era, it had been almost two and a half years since Woodfull had last appeared in a Test. Australia had not played any Tests since the 1926 tour. The Sheffield Shield rules were altered at the start of the year. They now allowed a declaration at any time after the end of the first day’s play. Woodfull played no Shield matches this year. He scored 206 runs at 51.50 to finish sixth in the VCA District batting averages. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 77. Australian XI v The Rest, Melbourne, October 19, 20, 22 (Australian XI won by an innings and 43 runs) lbw O.E.Nothling 21 398 111 244 78. Victoria v M.C.C., Melbourne, November 1, 2, 3, (5) (Match drawn) not out 67 164 486 did not bat - 135-0 79. AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND, Exhibition Ground, Brisbane, November 30, December 1, 3, 4, 5 (England won by 675 runs) c A.P.F.Chapman b H.Larwood 0 122 521 2 not out 30 66 342-8d 80. AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND, Sydney, December 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 (England won by eight wickets) lbw G.Geary 68 253 636 run out (M.W.Tate/G.Duckworth) 111 397 16-2 81. AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND, Melbourne, December 29, 31, January 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (England won by three wickets) c D.R.Jardine b M.W.Tate 7 397 417 c G.Duckworth b M.W.Tate 107 351 332-7 1 82. AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND, Adelaide, February 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (England won by 12 runs) c G.Duckworth b M.W.Tate 1 369 334 c G.Geary b J.C.White 30 336 383 2 83. Victoria v M.C.C., Melbourne, March 1, 2, 4, 5 (Match drawn) not out 275 572-9d 303 308-3 19