Famous Cricketers No 57 - W. M. Woodfull

Woodfull had a strict rule when teaching. This was that he would “never discuss cricket in class.” This was hard on his students and he only really relented at his farewell dinner in 1962. This was attended by a virtual roll-call of Australian cricket greats. The guest speaker was none other than the Australian Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies. Other guests included: Vic Richardson, Bert Oldfield, Bill Ponsford, Jack Ryder, Lindsay Hassett, Ian Johnson, Bert Ironmonger, Les Fleetwood-Smith, Ernie McCormick, Ern Bromley, Hans Ebeling, Jack Ellis and Ted a’Beckett. Menzies said that night that “No captain ever went out of the game with a greater reputation and with greater respect than Bill Woodfull.” No one disagreed. It was later rumoured that Woodfull was in the running for a knighthood on retirement, but this never eventuated. With the Australian Prime Minister championing his cause, such an honour would surely have been a formality. Perhaps it was offered and he refused? Heavy emphasis has been placed on Woodfull’s teaching career. This is because “he preferred to put his vocation before his achievements on the cricket field and he was as methodical in his teaching as he had been at the wicket.” Bill Woodfull the Batsman According to Webster, “Woodfull’s calm temperament, determination, courage and high moral principles made him one of Australia’s most respected and successful captains.” Despite these comments, less than justice has been done to Woodfull as a batsman. This may be because, according to Tebbutt, “He is perhaps the most difficult first-class cricketer to write about.” No stylist and an unusual looking batsman, Woodfull was however “one of the most accomplished opening batsmen in the game and one of the least inspiring to watch.” Woodfull was an awkward looking batsman. He was “stiff-shouldered and swung his bat as if it was a dead weight at the end of his arms.” This was possibly a result of his childhood rheumatics. He rarely “jumped out to the ball and in his footwork he shuffled rather than moved. Despite that, he got into the right place at the right time.” According to Moyes, “no bowler could scare him, no wicket could unnerve him.” Gilligan thought that Woodfull’s “two-eyed stance, short back-lift, an absence of mannerisms, fads or moods, [made him] one of the least spectacular of cricketers. He succeeded by sheer determination. No captain who ever wanted a sheet-anchor in his side would leave Woodfull out.” Woodfull began his career with “many crudities of style but with an extra-ordinarily strong defence and a remarkable eye.” These gifts “enabled him to defy the best bowling and to score prolifically.” His batting methods were entirely his own but they were effective. Although thought of as a slow scorer, this is a deceptive notion. Because of his ability to rotate the strike “there is no batsman in Australia who plays fewer maiden overs in the course of a season than he does.” It was a pity that ball-by-ball scoring was not universally compiled in Woodfull’s day. If it had been done, it may well have shown that on a balls-faced basis, Woodfull could mix it with some of the more flamboyant players. Wisden ’s 1966 obituary agreed with this, saying that “his weight and strength of wrist enabled him to score at a faster rate than many a more attractive player.” He was equally good in forward or back play. In his back play he played the ball so late that bowlers were constantly deceived into thinking that Woodfull had missed the ball completely. Sir PelhamWarner said that “bowling to Woodfull was like throwing stones at Gibraltar.” Nicknames included ‘the wormkiller’, ‘old steadfast’ and ‘the unbowlable’. Ray Robinson thought that Woodfull’s “batting looked stiff but he could drive, cut and hook well and his footwork against slow 5