Famous Cricketers No 74 - Bill Edrich

181. ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide, January 31, February 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 (Match drawn) c and b B.Dooland 17 460 20 3 88 0 487 c D.G.Bradman b E.R.H.Toshack 46 340-8d 7 2 25 0 215-1 182. MCC v New South Wales, Sydney, February 21, 22, 24, 25 (Match drawn) c A.R.Morris b E.R.H.Toshack 31 266 12 1 59 0 342 c and b J.Pettiford 33 205-3 10 1 34 1 D.K.Carmody c T.G.Evans 262-6d 2 183. ENGLAND v AUSTRALIA, Sydney, February 28, March (1), 3, 4, 5 (Australia won by five wickets) c D.Tallon b R.R.Lindwall 60 280 7 0 34 0 253 st D.Tallon b C.L.McCool 24 186 2 0 14 0 214-5 1 184. MCC v Wellington, Wellington, March 10, 11, 12 (MCC won by 214 runs) c R.McMurray b H.B.Cave 20 176 10 2 23 1 J.H.Oakley c T.G.Evans 160 1 c E.W.Tindill b R.McMurray 3 271-6d 73 185. MCC v Otago, Dunedin, March 15, 17, 18 (Match drawn) b A.W.Roberts 1 385-6d 6 1 14 2 B.Sutcliffe c and b 340 2 I.W.Galloway b c B.Sutcliffe b A.W.Roberts 26 216-9 2 1 4 0 262-7d 1 186. ENGLAND v NEW ZEALAND, Christchurch, March 21, 22, (24), 25 (Match drawn) c D.D.Taylor b R.H.Scott 42 265-7d 11 2 35 1 R.H.Scott b 345-9d 187. MCC v Auckland, Auckland, March 28, 29 (MCC won by innings and 65 runs) c V.J.Scott b C.A.Snedden 25 240 3 1 7 0 85 2 - - - - 90 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Test matches 6 11 0 504 119 45.81 1 3 1 Other matches 12 16 2 494 82 35.28 - 4 14 Tour 18 27 2 998 119 39.92 1 7 15 Career 187 296 36 12661 245 48.69 31 77 160 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Test matches (6b) 11 2 } 518 10 3-50 51.80 - - (8b) 115.3 13 Other matches (6b) 21 5 } 514 16 4-26 32.12 - - (8b) 119.5 14 Tour (6-ball) 32 7 } 1032 26 4-26 39.69 - - (8-ball) 235 27 Career (6-ball) 1303.4 206 } 6059 189 7-48 32.05 5 1 (8-ball) 563.6 60 1947 The year 1947 proved to be his greatest. In partnership with the mercurial Denis Compton, he broke many records, and Middlesex and England flourished accordingly. South Africa were the tourists and in all matches, Denis Compton and Bill Edrich scored 2,057 runs against them. In the Test matches, he scored 189 at Lord’s and 191 at Old Trafford and also took eight wickets in the latter match. In that summer he made 3,539 runs, including 12 centuries, and averaged 80.43. Walter Robins was captain of Middlesex who won the Championship before the final match. Edrich opened the bowling with Laurie Gray for most of the season. In the month of July he scored 1,047 runs in the calendar month. In the Test match at Old Trafford, Edrich became only the third player in history to score over 200 runs and take eight wickets in the match after G.Giffen and G.A.Faulkner. His best season was slightly overshadowed by D.C.S.Compton who outscored him to set up a record for the most runs scored by a batsman in an English season. However through the efforts of the Middlesex “twins”, as Edrich and Compton became known, Middlesex won the county championship. Apart from scoring 2257 runs for Middlesex and 3,539 in the season, Bill Edrich took 67 wickets bowling only until early August including 6-28 against Gloucestershire at Lord’s and 10 wickets in the match against 23