Famous Cricketers No 59 - Aubrey Faulkner

Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Test matches 73 11 218 12 6/17 18.16 1 - Other matches 204.5 73 795 52 6/39 15.28 2 - Season 377.5 84 1013 64 6/17 15.82 3 - Career 731.5 176 1916 121 6/17 15.83 5 - 1908/09 As only two first-class matches, between Western Province and Natal, were played in South Africa in 1907/08, Faulkner did not appear again after the tour of the United Kingdom ended in September 1907 until the Currie Cup Tournament of 1908/09, which was centralised in Cape Town. Only four sides (Border, Eastern Province, Transvaal and Western Province) entered, and the cup was decided on straight results, each side playing the others once, with no final. Faulkner made 28 batting at number three in the opening match, against Eastern Province, and then bowled unchanged with Thompson throughout their opponents’ first innings of 65 to take 7/39 in 11.4 overs, Thompson finishing with 3/24. When Eastern Province followed on, Ernie Vogler and Sid Pegler were given the ball and they, in turn, bowled unchanged to take 6/27 and 4/22 as Eastern Province went down to defeat by an innings and 123 runs. Faulkner hit 31 against Border and then he (4/27) and Vogler (6/12) became the third pair in succession to bowl throughout an innings when they dismissed Border for 43 in 18 overs – Faulkner ending the innings with a hat-trick. Following-on, Border made a much better showing, and Faulkner paid out 126 runs for his four second-innings wickets, but Transvaal won by an innings and 12 runs. With no final to be played, the game between Transvaal and Western Province, both of whom had won two matches, became the decider, and turned out to be a clash worthy of the occasion. Faulkner put Transvaal on top by taking 6/72 in Western Province’s first innings of 126 and then made top-score of 42 to help his side into a lead of 44. Figures of 4/94 in the second innings gave him a match haul of 10/166 and his efforts left Transvaal requiring 189 to win and take the Cup for the fifth time in succession. With Faulkner batting confidently, Transvaal appeared to be coasting to victory, but a late order collapse left him stranded on 68 not out when the last wicket fell at 182 - Western Province winning by six runs. His outstanding all-round performance of 110 runs for once out and ten wickets in the match deserved better support from his team-mates. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 43. Transvaal v Eastern Province, Newlands, Cape Town March 19, 20, 22 (Transvaal won by an innings and 123 runs) b A.T.Lyons 28 244 11.4 2 39 7 E.H.Beck c A.E.E.Vogler 65 2 A.E.C.Fock b H.B.Londt c and b F.J.Hippert b A.T.Lyons lbw F.T.Bayes c and b E.B.Lundie c A.E.E.Vogler - - - - 56 1 44. Transvaal v Border, Newlands Rugby Ground, Cape Town March 23, 24, 25 (Transvaal won by innings and 12 runs) b S.J.Snooke 31 319 9 3 27 4 N.O.Norton c A.N.Difford 43 2 F.W.Porter lbw A.H.Sprenger b H.Brown c T.Campbell 34 2 126 4 A.E.Cook b 264 S.J.Snooke b R.H.Randell lbw J.F.Wood b 45. Transvaal v Western Province, Newlands, Cape Town March 26, 27, 29, 30 (Western Province won by 6 runs) b D.C.Jackson 42 170 25 4 72 6 D.C.Jackson c T.Campbell 126 W.F.Yeoman lbw T.E.Holmes c T.Campbell C.A.Bain b B.G.von B.Melle c F.L.Le Roux J.J.Kotze b 13