Emerson Rodwell
Encyclopedia
Edwin Emerson Rodwell MM
(12 April 1921 – 27 February 2011) was an Australian soldier
, cricket
player, umpire
, commentator
and administrator. He fought in World War II
, in New Guinea
, and Borneo
, and was awarded the Military Medal
. Rodwell was an opening batsman and a prolific run-scorer at club level, and represented Tasmania
on 15 occasions at first-class
level, captaining
the side five times between 1950–51 and 1955-56. He also played three times for a first-class "Tasmanian Combined XI". During his captaincy Tasmania won their first first-class match after a winless period of over 20 years, making him the first successful Tasmanian captain since Jim Atkinson
in the early 1930s.
, Tasmania
, Emerson Rodwell attended The Hutchins School
in Hobart and showed an early talent as an athlete. He was a promising Australian rules football
player, who regularly represented Hutchins in the Old Scholars Football Association (OSFA), but his true talent lay in cricket. By the age of 15 he had made his senior debut for his local side, Glenorchy Cricket Club
in the Tasmanian Grade Cricket
competition, and was at ease batting against adults at that young age. He played as an aggressive opening batsman, and enjoyed attacking opening bowlers. By the age of 17 his name was already being discussed amongst state selectors, when his career was interrupted due to the suspension of all grade cricket following the outbreak of World War II
.
in 1940, after turning old enough to do so. He was attached to the 2/24th Battalion of the 26th Brigade
, and infantry brigade of the 9th Division. Although the 9th Division had initially served in North Africa
, including at the Siege of Tobruk
, Rodwell never served in Europe or North Africa. Rodwell's service throughout the war was in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II
. He initially fought in New Guinea
until 1943, and then in 1945 his Battalion went on to Borneo
where they played a vital part in the allied victory. During the Battle of Tarakan
Rodwell was recommended for the Military Medal
for his bravery in attacking enemy positions. The award was made for his actions during the attack on the "Wills feature". He was a Bren gunner with 1 section
, 16 platoon
, D Company 2/24th when his section commander was killed. Despite the fact it was his first time in action, Rodwell took command of the remaining members of the section, then placed himself in full view of the main loophole of a Japanese-held concrete pillbox, and fired his Bren gun at the loophole to give another member of his platoon chance to knock-out the pillbox with a flamethrower. The award was gazetted
on 3 July 1945.
He was discharged from the Army in November 1946, having obtained the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2.
after being demobbed, and set about where he had left off by terrorising the competition in the 1946-47 season. He immediately caught the attention of the state selectors, who finally gave him his long-awaited first-class
debut against Victoria
at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
in January 1948. On debut he made 14 and 23, but performed much better with the ball, taking 3/67 in the first innings, but not getting to bowl in the second, as Victoria won by 10 wickets within 9 overs.
Rodwell made the only first-class century of his career on 25 January 1950. Going into the second day of a three-day game against Victoria
, the Tasmanians were trailing by 12 runs on the first innings. They began their second innings with an excellent partnership between Ronald Thomas and Rodwell, taking the score past 100 without loss. Thomas soon departed, but Rodwell was in the finest form of his career, soon passing 100 himself. However, once he reached the milestone, he was dismissed soon after for 104, caught behind by Bert Wright
off the bowling of Bernard Considine
. His century had given Tasmania a lead of 297, but Victoria chased down the runs, winning by 4 wickets.
By 1950 Rodwell had been appointed as state captain
, and enjoyed reasonable success, winning one and drawing two of the five matches he led the side for. It was an astute piece of captaincy on the part of Rodwell that led to the victory. After winning the toss and putting Victoria in to bat first, Tasmania skittled the Victorians for 119, setting up the victory. In 1956, Rodwell, at the age of 35 decided to retire from first-class cricket having scored 709 runs and taken 8 wickets in 18 matches, and then returned to concentrating on his career at Glenorchy Cricket Club.
competition as both a batsman and as a captain. Playing as an aggressive opening batsman for his beloved Glenorchy Cricket Club
, whom he represented for his whole club career, Rodwell amassed 11,542 first grade runs from 337 innings at an average of 38.47. He also had the competition's highest season average on six occasions, and was the leading run-scorer five times. During the 1949-50 season he compiled 1071 runs for the season, still the competition's second highest tally behind Ronald Morrisby
who made 1099 runs in 1950-51. His club career total of 11,542 is the third highest total in the competition's history behind Ronald Morrisby
who made a remarkable 16,000 runs exactly, and Kenneth Burn who made 12,100 runs in his career. In the 1950-51 season Rodwell made his highest score of 215 against Kingborough Cricket Club
at their home ground of Kingston Beach Oval.
Rodwell's prolific run-scoring as an opening batsman leads people to forget he was a talented all-rounder. Although only a medium pace bowler, he was able to move the ball quite dramatically off the pitch, and claimed 331 wickets during his club career. He also once claimed a wicket with a legitimate underarm
delivery, as he had realised the technique had not been outlawed in the Tasmanian Grade Cricket Competition. His career best return was 7/44.
Rodwell was equally effective as Glenorchy's club captain. During his captaincy, the club dominated the TCA competition, winning seven titles, and being runner-up three times. They won the competition every season of the 1950s except for two (1954–55 and 1958–59). In all, Glenorchy won eight of their 14 TCA First Grade titles during his time as a player with the club. Rodwell's eight titles is still the most by a single player in TCA history.
By the 1960s Rodwell was commentating on local cricket on 936
ABC
local radio
, where he quickly became a well known and recognised local celebrity for his expert and colourful analysis of the competition.
The Emerson Rodwell Medal, named in his honour in 2007 is awarded annually to the TCA Best and Fairest Player, in the Tasmanian Grade Cricket Competition. He died on 27 February 2011.
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
(12 April 1921 – 27 February 2011) was an Australian soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
player, umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
, commentator
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
and administrator. He fought in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
, and Borneo
Borneo campaign (1945)
The Borneo Campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area, during World War II. In a series of amphibious assaults between 1 May and 21 July, the Australian I Corps, under General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. Allied naval and...
, and was awarded the Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
. Rodwell was an opening batsman and a prolific run-scorer at club level, and represented Tasmania
Tasmanian Tigers
The Tasmanian cricket team, nicknamed the Tigers, represents the Australian state of Tasmania in cricket tournaments. They compete annually in the Australian domestic senior men's cricket season, which currently consists of the first-class Sheffield Shield, the limited overs Ford Ranger Cup, and...
on 15 occasions at first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
level, captaining
Tasmanian cricket captains
The Australian state of Tasmania has one of the longest traditions of cricket-playing in the southern hemisphere. Cricket is recorded as having first been played in Tasmania very shortly after the arrival of British settlers on the island on 12 September 1803, however it wasn't until nearly fifty...
the side five times between 1950–51 and 1955-56. He also played three times for a first-class "Tasmanian Combined XI". During his captaincy Tasmania won their first first-class match after a winless period of over 20 years, making him the first successful Tasmanian captain since Jim Atkinson
Jim Atkinson
James "Jim" Archibald Atkinson was an Australian rules footballer and first class cricketer.Atkinson played his football with Fitzroy in the VFL. He was a defender and in 1922 was a member of Fitzroy's premiership winning side as well as winning their Club Champion award. Atkinson was club captain...
in the early 1930s.
Early life
Born in GlenorchyGlenorchy, Tasmania
Glenorchy is a business district and suburb in the northern part of greater Hobart, capital of the state of Tasmania, Australia. The land was originally used for agriculture but is now a largely suburban, working-class area...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Emerson Rodwell attended The Hutchins School
The Hutchins School
The Hutchins School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Sandy Bay, a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia....
in Hobart and showed an early talent as an athlete. He was a promising Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player, who regularly represented Hutchins in the Old Scholars Football Association (OSFA), but his true talent lay in cricket. By the age of 15 he had made his senior debut for his local side, Glenorchy Cricket Club
Glenorchy Cricket Club
Glenorchy Cricket Club also known as the "Magpies" represent Glenorchy in Tasmania's Grade Cricket Competition.Glenorchy Cricket Club was founded in , and were at their most dominant in the 1950s, when they won a "four-in-a-row"....
in the Tasmanian Grade Cricket
Tasmanian Grade Cricket
Tasmanian Grade Cricket, or the Tasmanian Grade Competition, refers to the hierarchically graded cricket competitions played in Tasmania, Australia...
competition, and was at ease batting against adults at that young age. He played as an aggressive opening batsman, and enjoyed attacking opening bowlers. By the age of 17 his name was already being discussed amongst state selectors, when his career was interrupted due to the suspension of all grade cricket following the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Military career
Emerson Rodwell enlisted in the Australian ArmyAustralian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
in 1940, after turning old enough to do so. He was attached to the 2/24th Battalion of the 26th Brigade
26th Brigade (Australia)
The Australian 26th Brigade was an Australian Army infantry brigade of World War II. The 26th Brigade was raised in 1940 and formed part of the 9th Division throughout the war. The 26th Brigade saw action in North Africa, New Guinea and Tarakan Island...
, and infantry brigade of the 9th Division. Although the 9th Division had initially served in North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, including at the Siege of Tobruk
Siege of Tobruk
The siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
, Rodwell never served in Europe or North Africa. Rodwell's service throughout the war was in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
. He initially fought in New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
until 1943, and then in 1945 his Battalion went on to Borneo
Borneo campaign (1945)
The Borneo Campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area, during World War II. In a series of amphibious assaults between 1 May and 21 July, the Australian I Corps, under General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. Allied naval and...
where they played a vital part in the allied victory. During the Battle of Tarakan
Battle of Tarakan (1945)
The Battle of Tarakan was the first stage in the Borneo campaign of 1945. It began with an amphibious landing by Australian forces on 1 May, code-named Operation Oboe One...
Rodwell was recommended for the Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
for his bravery in attacking enemy positions. The award was made for his actions during the attack on the "Wills feature". He was a Bren gunner with 1 section
Section (military unit)
A section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company .-Australian Army:...
, 16 platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
, D Company 2/24th when his section commander was killed. Despite the fact it was his first time in action, Rodwell took command of the remaining members of the section, then placed himself in full view of the main loophole of a Japanese-held concrete pillbox, and fired his Bren gun at the loophole to give another member of his platoon chance to knock-out the pillbox with a flamethrower. The award was gazetted
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 3 July 1945.
He was discharged from the Army in November 1946, having obtained the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2.
First-class career
Despite the interruption of more than six years to his cricketing career due to the war, Rodwell returned to Glenorchy Cricket ClubGlenorchy Cricket Club
Glenorchy Cricket Club also known as the "Magpies" represent Glenorchy in Tasmania's Grade Cricket Competition.Glenorchy Cricket Club was founded in , and were at their most dominant in the 1950s, when they won a "four-in-a-row"....
after being demobbed, and set about where he had left off by terrorising the competition in the 1946-47 season. He immediately caught the attention of the state selectors, who finally gave him his long-awaited first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
debut against Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
at the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
in January 1948. On debut he made 14 and 23, but performed much better with the ball, taking 3/67 in the first innings, but not getting to bowl in the second, as Victoria won by 10 wickets within 9 overs.
Rodwell made the only first-class century of his career on 25 January 1950. Going into the second day of a three-day game against Victoria
Victorian Bushrangers
The Victorian cricket team, nicknamed the Bushrangers, is an Australian cricket team based in Melbourne, that represents the state of Victoria. It is administered by Cricket Victoria and draws its players from Melbourne's Premier Cricket competition...
, the Tasmanians were trailing by 12 runs on the first innings. They began their second innings with an excellent partnership between Ronald Thomas and Rodwell, taking the score past 100 without loss. Thomas soon departed, but Rodwell was in the finest form of his career, soon passing 100 himself. However, once he reached the milestone, he was dismissed soon after for 104, caught behind by Bert Wright
Bert Wright
Bert Wright is an American ice dancer. With partner Sharon McKenzie, he is the 1957 U.S. national champion. They won the bronze medal at the 1957 World Figure Skating Championships.-Results:-References:...
off the bowling of Bernard Considine
Bernard Considine
Bernard Considine was an Australian sportsman who played first-class cricket for Victoria and Tasmania as well as Australian rules football with Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League ....
. His century had given Tasmania a lead of 297, but Victoria chased down the runs, winning by 4 wickets.
By 1950 Rodwell had been appointed as state captain
Tasmanian cricket captains
The Australian state of Tasmania has one of the longest traditions of cricket-playing in the southern hemisphere. Cricket is recorded as having first been played in Tasmania very shortly after the arrival of British settlers on the island on 12 September 1803, however it wasn't until nearly fifty...
, and enjoyed reasonable success, winning one and drawing two of the five matches he led the side for. It was an astute piece of captaincy on the part of Rodwell that led to the victory. After winning the toss and putting Victoria in to bat first, Tasmania skittled the Victorians for 119, setting up the victory. In 1956, Rodwell, at the age of 35 decided to retire from first-class cricket having scored 709 runs and taken 8 wickets in 18 matches, and then returned to concentrating on his career at Glenorchy Cricket Club.
Tasmanian grade cricket career
Rodwell was one of the premier club cricket players of the immediate post-war period in Tasmania. He dominated the Tasmanian Grade CricketTasmanian Grade Cricket
Tasmanian Grade Cricket, or the Tasmanian Grade Competition, refers to the hierarchically graded cricket competitions played in Tasmania, Australia...
competition as both a batsman and as a captain. Playing as an aggressive opening batsman for his beloved Glenorchy Cricket Club
Glenorchy Cricket Club
Glenorchy Cricket Club also known as the "Magpies" represent Glenorchy in Tasmania's Grade Cricket Competition.Glenorchy Cricket Club was founded in , and were at their most dominant in the 1950s, when they won a "four-in-a-row"....
, whom he represented for his whole club career, Rodwell amassed 11,542 first grade runs from 337 innings at an average of 38.47. He also had the competition's highest season average on six occasions, and was the leading run-scorer five times. During the 1949-50 season he compiled 1071 runs for the season, still the competition's second highest tally behind Ronald Morrisby
Ronald Morrisby
Ronald Orlando George Morrisby , was a former Australian cricketer who played first-class cricket for Tasmania from 1931 until 1952...
who made 1099 runs in 1950-51. His club career total of 11,542 is the third highest total in the competition's history behind Ronald Morrisby
Ronald Morrisby
Ronald Orlando George Morrisby , was a former Australian cricketer who played first-class cricket for Tasmania from 1931 until 1952...
who made a remarkable 16,000 runs exactly, and Kenneth Burn who made 12,100 runs in his career. In the 1950-51 season Rodwell made his highest score of 215 against Kingborough Cricket Club
Kingborough Cricket Club
Kingborough District Cricket Club also known as the "Knights" represent Kingborough in Tasmania's Grade Cricket Competition.The Knights have experienced great success over the last two Tasmanian seasons, winning back-to-back First Grade Premierships...
at their home ground of Kingston Beach Oval.
Rodwell's prolific run-scoring as an opening batsman leads people to forget he was a talented all-rounder. Although only a medium pace bowler, he was able to move the ball quite dramatically off the pitch, and claimed 331 wickets during his club career. He also once claimed a wicket with a legitimate underarm
Underarm bowling
In cricket, underarm bowling is as old as the sport itself. Until the introduction of the roundarm style in the first half of the 19th century, bowling was performed in the same way as in bowls, the ball being delivered with the hand below the waist...
delivery, as he had realised the technique had not been outlawed in the Tasmanian Grade Cricket Competition. His career best return was 7/44.
Rodwell was equally effective as Glenorchy's club captain. During his captaincy, the club dominated the TCA competition, winning seven titles, and being runner-up three times. They won the competition every season of the 1950s except for two (1954–55 and 1958–59). In all, Glenorchy won eight of their 14 TCA First Grade titles during his time as a player with the club. Rodwell's eight titles is still the most by a single player in TCA history.
Later life
By the time he finished his playing career, Rodwell was already a life member of Glenorchy Cricket Club, where he continued to work as a club administrator, as well as the club's representative on the Tasmanian Cricket Association. He also worked as a delegate on several TCA sub-committees, and was made Chairman of the Umpire Appointment Board.By the 1960s Rodwell was commentating on local cricket on 936
936 ABC Hobart
936 ABC Hobart is the ABC Local Radio station for Hobart, Tasmania, owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It broadcasts on 936 kHz on the AM band....
ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
local radio
ABC Local Radio
ABC Local Radio is a network of publicly owned radio stations in Australia, operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.ABC Local Radio stations broadcast across the continent using terrestrial transmitters and satellites...
, where he quickly became a well known and recognised local celebrity for his expert and colourful analysis of the competition.
The Emerson Rodwell Medal, named in his honour in 2007 is awarded annually to the TCA Best and Fairest Player, in the Tasmanian Grade Cricket Competition. He died on 27 February 2011.
Medal bar