George Tribe
Encyclopedia
George Edward Tribe was an Australia
n cricket
er who played in 3 Tests
from 1946 to 1947, as well as an Australian rules football
er with the Footscray Football Club
in the VFL
.
immediately after the Second World War, taking 86 wickets at 19.25 in just 13 games and playing in three Tests under Donald Bradman
in the 1946-47 Ashes series. An all-rounder
, he bowled slow left-arm orthodox
and chinaman
and batted doggedly as a left-hander, mostly at number six or seven, compiling 7 centuries in his first class career. Despite his prolific record in first-class cricket, he was unsuccessful during the series against England and was dropped from the national team. In the Fifth Test in Sydney Ray Lindwall
took 109/9, but thought that Tribe had bowled better, but with no luck to return 153/0..
After failing to achieve further recognition in Australia, Tribe moved to the Lancashire League in 1947. He joined Milnrow in the Central Lancashire League and took 136 scalps in his first season. He followed that performance with a record 148 wickets the following year and 150 in 1950, when he moved to Rawtenstall
for two seasons. Although he never toured with Australia he took 99 wickets on a Commonwealth tour of India in 1949/50. An engineer by trade, he joined a Northamptonshire based firm in 1951 and his prolific record saw Northamptonshire
offer him terms for that season. He proved an immediate success and played for the county for nine seasons, achieving "the double" of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in seven of those seasons. His value to Northamptonshire as the county moved from being the perpetual back-markers to challenge seriously for the County Championship
was immense. He was awarded his benefit in 1956.
As of 2007, Tribe still holds the Northamptonshire record for best bowling in a first-class match, returning figures of 15-31 (made up of 7-22 and 8-9) against Yorkshire
in 1958. He took a record 175 wickets for the county in 1955.
He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1955. At the time of his death he was the second oldest Australian Test cricketer and the eleventh oldest overall.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n 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...
er who played in 3 Tests
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
from 1946 to 1947, as well as an 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...
er with the Footscray Football Club
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
in the VFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Cricket career
Tribe played with great success for VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
immediately after the Second World War, taking 86 wickets at 19.25 in just 13 games and playing in three Tests under Donald Bradman
Donald Bradman
Sir Donald George Bradman, AC , often referred to as "The Don", was an Australian cricketer, widely acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time...
in the 1946-47 Ashes series. An all-rounder
All-rounder
An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a few batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are considered specialists...
, he bowled slow left-arm orthodox
Left-arm orthodox spin
Left-arm orthodox spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket.Left-arm orthodox spin is bowled by a left arm bowler using the fingers to spin the ball from right to left of the cricket pitch...
and chinaman
Left-arm unorthodox spin
Left-arm unorthodox spin, or chinaman, is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket using the hand wrist. Left-arm unorthodox spin bowlers use a wrist hand action to spin the ball which turns from off to leg side of the cricket pitch...
and batted doggedly as a left-hander, mostly at number six or seven, compiling 7 centuries in his first class career. Despite his prolific record in first-class cricket, he was unsuccessful during the series against England and was dropped from the national team. In the Fifth Test in Sydney Ray Lindwall
Ray Lindwall
Raymond Russell Lindwall MBE was a cricketer who represented Australia in 61 Tests from 1946 to 1960. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He also played top-flight rugby league football with St...
took 109/9, but thought that Tribe had bowled better, but with no luck to return 153/0..
After failing to achieve further recognition in Australia, Tribe moved to the Lancashire League in 1947. He joined Milnrow in the Central Lancashire League and took 136 scalps in his first season. He followed that performance with a record 148 wickets the following year and 150 in 1950, when he moved to Rawtenstall
Rawtenstall Cricket Club
Rawtenstall Cricket Club is a cricket club in the Lancashire League, which plays its home games at the Worswick Memorial Ground in Rawtenstall. For the 2011 season its captain is Vinny Hanson, and its professional is Sri Lankan Malinga Bandara. The club has won the league on seven occasions and won...
for two seasons. Although he never toured with Australia he took 99 wickets on a Commonwealth tour of India in 1949/50. An engineer by trade, he joined a Northamptonshire based firm in 1951 and his prolific record saw Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
offer him terms for that season. He proved an immediate success and played for the county for nine seasons, achieving "the double" of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in seven of those seasons. His value to Northamptonshire as the county moved from being the perpetual back-markers to challenge seriously for the County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
was immense. He was awarded his benefit in 1956.
As of 2007, Tribe still holds the Northamptonshire record for best bowling in a first-class match, returning figures of 15-31 (made up of 7-22 and 8-9) against Yorkshire
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Yorkshire as one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure....
in 1958. He took a record 175 wickets for the county in 1955.
He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1955. At the time of his death he was the second oldest Australian Test cricketer and the eleventh oldest overall.