Famous Cricketers No 77 - W.L.Murdoch

WILLIAM LLOYD MURDOCH Despite his pivotal role in the early days of Test cricket and in the wider history of the game in Australia, William Lloyd Murdoch has no biographer. By general consent an outstanding captain, tactically less stereotyped than most of his contemporaries, he led his country in six series and toured England five times, 1878, 1880, 1882, 1884, and 1890, as captain in the last four. He skippered Australia in the first Test Match in England and his leadership was a crucial factor in arguably the greatest Test Match of all – the Ashes match at The Oval in 1882. Throughout the 1880s he was widely judged the best batsman ever produced by Australia, second only to W.G.Grace as the best in the world and, to Australian eyes at least, WG’s equal on good wickets. His 211 at The Oval in 1884 was the first double century in a Test Match, his 321 for New South Wales v Victoria at Sydney in 1882 the first triple hundred on Australian soil and by an Australian anywhere. And he was the first batsman to carry his bat through a complete first class innings in Australia. By the end of the 1880s when “big hundreds” were still a rarity, he had one triple and three double centuries to his credit plus two 150s. Included in the latter was his epic 153* at The Oval in 1880, the inaugural Test Match in England. Reincarnated as an English cricketer, he led Sussex from 1893 to 1899 and captained both the Gentlemen and MCC. And he was the only man other than Grace to skipper London County. An accomplished wicket-keeper, he kept wicket in two Test Matches, for Australia in the first innings at Sydney in 1882 and for England in the second innings at Cape Town in 1892. The third child of Gilbert William Lloyd Murdoch, and Susanna Murdoch (née Flagg), Billy Murdoch was born October 18th 1854 at Sandhurst in the Victorian goldfields where the family had recently moved from Tasmania. Murdoch senior, who was born in America and had served in the US army, married Susanna in California in 1849. This was probably California USA but, given the links with gold mining, it could also have been California Gulley near Sandhurst. Either way, if the details on their son’s birth certificate are correct, Susanna can have been no more than 14 on her wedding day. On the certificate the father’s occupation is given as “Auctioneer” and Susanna’s birthplace as “Hobart Town, Van Dieman’s Land”. There is some confusion over her maiden name. The entry for Billy Murdoch in the Dictionary of National Biography gives her name as “Edith Susan Hogg” while the Australian Dictionary of Biography shows it as “Susanna Fleigge”. “Susanna Flagg” is plain enough on Billy’s birth certificate and as her husband was the informant he probably got it right. When Billy was fourteen the family moved to New South Wales, which meant a change of schools from St Kilda to Ballarat and/or Balmain (accounts vary). Going on to Sydney University, he graduated and was articled to a Sydney solicitor. Admitted to the profession in 1877, he went into partnership as Murdoch & Murdoch with his brother Gilbert who was already practising in the city. Murdoch began his club cricket for Balmain alongside Gilbert who was three years older. Here he faced the man with whom his early career in cricket would be closely linked, Fred Spofforth, then with Glebe. With a growing reputation, primarily but not exclusively as a wicket keeper, and looking for a higher standard of cricket, Murdoch moved to one of the strongest sides in New South Wales, Warwick. In 1874/75 he moved again, to Warwick’s great rivals Albert. Here Murdoch and Spofforth became team mates, the latter having joined Albert in the same year from Newtown. There can be little doubt the move was good for Murdoch’s playing career. An innings of 57 for Albert against Tasmania and a strong recommendation from the Albert coach, the influential English professional Charles Lawrence, led to selection for New South Wales in December 1875. Two years later he was picked for Australia. 3