Famous Cricketers No 96 - Clarrie Grimmett

1933/34 With no Test matches taking place in 1933/34, the Sheffield Shield took pride of place with the forthcoming trip to England in 1934 being a major concern. Despite Grimmett’s relative failure in the 1932/33 Test matches, he had little difficulty in securing a place for the 1934 trip. He began with 7-80 in his opening encounter with Victoria, then 5-103 against New South Wales, winning by ten wickets. The 1933/34 third game, another eight wickets victory against Queensland secured him 11-192 and his five for 132 in the final game was enough to secure him a place. He also took advantage of his subsequent form to appear in four later games against Western Australia and Tasmania, taking 7-57 in the second game, including a spell of 3-1 and a further spell of two wickets in three balls. A final appearance for an Australian XI in which he claimed 5-90 left him again heading the bowling field with 66 at only 21.83 whilst his Sheffield Shield figures produced 39 at 23.79. Grimmett also claimed his three hundredth Sheffield Shield wicket when he had Bradman caught by Wall in his second innings for New South Wales on December 18th. His 105 and 144 wickets in 1926 and 1930 and his continued wicket taking in 1933/34 was enough, with the talents of O’Reilly and Fleetwood-Smith, to prove a formidable attack in 1934. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 159. South Australia v Victoria, Adelaide Oval, November 3, 4, 6, 7 (Victoria won by 169 runs) c W.H.Ponsford b H.H.Alexander 22 228 22 2 80 7 W.M.Woodfull lbw 197 L.P.J.O’Brien c C.W.Walker K.E.Rigg c A.J.Ryan E.H.Bromley b B.A.Barnett b L.E.Nagel st C.W.Walker L.O.Fleetwood-Smith b lbw b L.O.Fleetwood-Smith 1 231 32 4 122 0 431-5d 160. V.Y.Richardson’s XI v W.M.Woodfull’s XI, Melbourne, November (17), 18, 20, 21, 22 (Match drawn) not out 16 491-8d 30 5 108 2 W.M.Woodfull c V.Y.Richardson 350 A.F.Kippax lbw did not bat - 169-4 161. South Australia v New South Wales, Adelaide Oval, December, 15, 16, 18 (South Australia won by ten wickets) c W.J.O’Reilly b F.Mair 7 316 6 2 17 2 F.Mair b 108 W.J.O’Reilly c V.Y.Richardson did not bat - 65-0 33 3 103 5 J.H.W.Fingleton c C.W.Walker 271 D.G.Bradman c T.W.Wall A.F.Kippax st C.W.Walker W.A.S.Oldfield c V.Y.Richardson H.C.Chilvers b 162. South Australia v Queensland, Adelaide Oval, December 22, 23, 25, 26 (South Australia won by eight wickets) not out 27 393 17 3 58 5 G.G.Cook b 147 F.C.Thompson lbw E.C.Bensted b T.Allen b A.H.Tait lbw did not bat - 96-2 30 2 134 6 G.G.Cook b 339 W.C.Andrews c B.J.Tobin F.C.Thompson lbw R.M.Levy st C.W.Walker E.C.Bensted c C.W.Walker R.K.Oxenham lbw 163. South Australia v Victoria, Melbourne, December 29, 30, January 1, 2 (Victoria won by five wickets) b L.O.Fleetwood-Smith 30 313 19 2 76 1 J.W.Scaife b 366 lbw b L.O.Fleetwood-Smith 30 198 14.7 3 52 4 K.E.Rigg c H.C.Nitschke 146-5 L.P.J.O’Brien b L.S.Darling lbw J.W.Scaife lbw 38