West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1951-52
Encyclopedia
The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1951-52 season and played five Test matches
against Australia. The series was billed as the "World Championship of cricket", with both teams having beaten England
in the previous 18 months. In the event, the series was a disappointment with Australia winning fairly easily by four matches to one.
After the Australian leg of the tour, the West Indies team moved on to New Zealand where the first Test matches between New Zealand
and West Indies were played. See this article for further details.
and England.
The full side was:
All of the players except Guillen and Marshall had played Test cricket before the tour, and the two exceptions made their debuts during the Australian leg of the tour.
First Test, at Brisbane
West Indies (216 and 245) lost to Australia (226 and 236 for seven) by three wickets.
West Indies batted uneasily against the speed of Ray Lindwall
and Keith Miller
, with Goddard, coming in at No 9, top-scoring with 45. The Australians were similarly diffident against Ramadhin and Valentine, but Miller and Lindwall, as batsmen, were more aggressive. Valentine took five for 99 and Wisden
recorded that five catches were dropped off his bowling in the space of half an hour. Weekes with 70 and Gomez (55) set a target, but Doug Ring
's leg-breaks took six for 80. After five overs from the West Indies opening bowlers Gomez and Worrell, Goddard relied entirely on Ramadhin and Valentine, and they bowled more than 80 coinsecutive overs between them. Innings of more than 40 apiece from Arthur Morris
, Neil Harvey
and Graeme Hole
took Australia to a narrow victory, despite Ramadhin's five for 90.
Second Test, at Sydney
West Indies (362 and 290) lost to Australia (517 and 137 for three) by seven wickets. West Indies batted consistently, with 50s for Worrell (64), Walcott (60), Christiani (76) and Gomez (54). But after Australia had been reduced to 27 for two wickets, Lindsay Hassett
was dropped behind the wicket and he went on to score 132 and to put on 235 with Keith Miller
, who made 129. Lindwall and Ring then led the tail to a total of 517. Short-pitched bowling by Lindwall and Miller accounted for several of the West Indies batsmen in the second innings, and despite 50s for Weekes and Goddard the Australians needed only 136 to win.
Third Test, at Adelaide
Australia (82 and 255) lost to the West Indies (105 and 233 for four) by six wickets. Rain had seeped under the covers and 22 wickets fell on the first day for 207 runs. Worrell took six for 34 in Australia's first innings, and Bill Johnston
took six for 62 when bowling unchanged throughout the West Indies innings. Australia's captain Arthur Morris
– Hassett was injured – rejigged the batting order for the second innings. Ian Johnson
and Geff Noblet
were out before the end of the first day, but in easier conditions Ring made 67 and Morris 45, while Valentine took six for 102. West Indies needed 233 to win and at 141 for four seemed to be wobbling, but dropped catches allowed Christiani and Gomez to see them home.
Fourth Test, at Melbourne
West Indies (272 and 203) lost to Australia (216 and 260 for nine) by one wicket. An exciting Test began with a century for Worrell, retrieving West Indies from 30 for three with assistance from Gomez and Christiani. Miller took five for 60. Neil Harvey
, with 83, and Miller put on 124 for the fourth wicket but the other Australian batsmen failed and Trim took five for 34. West Indies lost wickets regularly, though there were 50s for Stollmeyer and Gomez before a late-order collapse left Australia to get 260. Hassett made 102, but wickets fell to the spin of Ramadhin and Valentine, and at 222 for nine, the match seemed lost. But Ring, with 32, and Johnston made 38 for the last wicket to bring an unlikely victory and win the series.
Fifth Test, at Sydney
Australia (116 and 377) beat the West Indies (78 and 213) by 202 runs. First-day humidity helped the swing bowling of Gomez, who took seven for 55, and Worrell (three for 42), but West Indies fared even worse against the bouncers of Lindwall, Johnston and Miller. Australia's dominance was built on painstaking 60s by Colin McDonald, in his first Test match, Hassett, Miller and Graeme Hole
, though Gomez completed a 10 wicket haul in the match. Lindwall and Miller kept up a barrage of bouncers against the West Indies and only Stollmeyer, who made 104, lasted long. Lindwall finished with five for 52. Richie Benaud
claimed his first Test wicket with the final delivery of the match.
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...
against Australia. The series was billed as the "World Championship of cricket", with both teams having beaten England
English cricket team
The England and Wales cricket team is a cricket team which represents England and Wales. Until 1992 it also represented Scotland. Since 1 January 1997 it has been governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board , having been previously governed by Marylebone Cricket Club from 1903 until the end...
in the previous 18 months. In the event, the series was a disappointment with Australia winning fairly easily by four matches to one.
After the Australian leg of the tour, the West Indies team moved on to New Zealand where the first Test matches between New Zealand
New Zealand cricket team
The New Zealand cricket team, nicknamed the Black Caps, are the national cricket team representing New Zealand. They played their first in 1930 against England in Christchurch, New Zealand, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. It took the team until 1955–56 to win a Test, against the...
and West Indies were played. See this article for further details.
The West Indies touring team
The West Indies team was captained by John Goddard, who had led the side to series victories over IndiaIndian cricket team
The Indian cricket team is the national cricket team of India. Governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , it is a full member of the International Cricket Council with Test and One Day International status....
and England.
The full side was:
- John Goddard, captain
- Jeff StollmeyerJeff StollmeyerJeffrey Baxter Stollmeyer was a Trinidad and Tobago cricketer and footballer. He played 32 Tests for the West Indies, captaining 13 of these....
, vice-captain - Denis AtkinsonDenis AtkinsonDenis St Eval Atkinson was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches as an all-rounder, hitting 922 runs and taking 47 wickets. He also played first-class cricket for Barbados and Trinidad...
- Robert ChristianiRobert ChristianiRobert Julian Christiani was a West Indian cricketer who played in 22 Tests from 1947-48 to 1953-54.His brother Cyril also played Test cricket....
- Wilfred FergusonWilfred FergusonWilfred Ferguson was a West Indian cricketer who played in eight Tests from 1947-48 to 1953-54....
- Gerry GomezGerry GomezGerry Ethridge Gomez was a West Indian cricketer who played 29 Tests for the West Indies between 1939 and 1954, scoring 1,243 runs and taking 58 wickets. He captained in one match for the West Indies when England toured in 1947/8.Gomez was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad...
- Sammy GuillenSammy GuillenSimpson Clairmonte Guillen is one of the few men to have played Test cricket for two countries...
- Prior JonesPrior JonesPrior Erskine Waverley Jones was a West Indian cricketer who played in nine Tests from 1947-48 to 1951-52....
- Roy MarshallRoy MarshallRoy Edwin Marshall was a West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests from 1951 to 1952. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1959.-Early career:...
- Allan Rae
- Sonny RamadhinSonny RamadhinSonny Ramadhin was a West Indian cricketer, and a dominant bowler of the 1950s. He was the first West Indian cricketers of Indian origin, and was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1951.- Biography and career :...
- Ken RickardsKen RickardsKenneth Roy Rickards was a West Indian cricketer who played in two Tests from 1948 to 1952....
- John TrimJohn TrimJohn Trim was a West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests from 1948 to 1952....
- Alf ValentineAlf ValentineAlfred Louis Valentine, April 28, 1930–11 May 2004 , was a West Indian cricketer in the 1950s and 1960s. He is most famous for his performance in the West Indies' 1950 tour of England, which was immortalised in the Victory Calypso.-The 1950 tour:...
- Clyde WalcottClyde WalcottSir Clyde Leopold Walcott, KA, GCM was a West Indian cricketer. Walcott was a member of the "three W's", the other two being Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell: all were very successful batsmen from Barbados, born within a short distance of each other in Bridgetown, Barbados in a period of 18...
- Everton WeekesEverton WeekesSir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG, GCM, OBE is a leading former West Indian cricketer. Along with Frank Worrell and Clyde Walcott, he formed what was known as "The Three Ws" of West Indian cricket.-Youth and early career:...
- Frank WorrellFrank WorrellSir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
All of the players except Guillen and Marshall had played Test cricket before the tour, and the two exceptions made their debuts during the Australian leg of the tour.
First Test, at BrisbaneBrisbane Cricket GroundThe Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as The Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. It is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located....
, 9, 10, 12, 13 November
West Indies (216 and 245) lost to Australia (226 and 236 for seven) by three wickets.West Indies batted uneasily against the speed of 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...
and Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
, with Goddard, coming in at No 9, top-scoring with 45. The Australians were similarly diffident against Ramadhin and Valentine, but Miller and Lindwall, as batsmen, were more aggressive. Valentine took five for 99 and Wisden
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom...
recorded that five catches were dropped off his bowling in the space of half an hour. Weekes with 70 and Gomez (55) set a target, but Doug Ring
Doug Ring
Douglas Thomas Ring was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia in 13 Tests from 1948 to 1953...
's leg-breaks took six for 80. After five overs from the West Indies opening bowlers Gomez and Worrell, Goddard relied entirely on Ramadhin and Valentine, and they bowled more than 80 coinsecutive overs between them. Innings of more than 40 apiece from Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris MBE is a former Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of...
, Neil Harvey
Neil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
and Graeme Hole
Graeme Hole
Graeme Blake Hole was an Australian cricketer....
took Australia to a narrow victory, despite Ramadhin's five for 90.
Second Test, at SydneySydney Cricket GroundThe Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
, 30 November, 1, 3, 4, 5 December
West Indies (362 and 290) lost to Australia (517 and 137 for three) by seven wickets. West Indies batted consistently, with 50s for Worrell (64), Walcott (60), Christiani (76) and Gomez (54). But after Australia had been reduced to 27 for two wickets, Lindsay HassettLindsay Hassett
Arthur Lindsay Hassett MBE was a cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a...
was dropped behind the wicket and he went on to score 132 and to put on 235 with Keith Miller
Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller MBE was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite...
, who made 129. Lindwall and Ring then led the tail to a total of 517. Short-pitched bowling by Lindwall and Miller accounted for several of the West Indies batsmen in the second innings, and despite 50s for Weekes and Goddard the Australians needed only 136 to win.
Third Test, at AdelaideAdelaide OvalThe Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
, 22, 24, 25 December
Australia (82 and 255) lost to the West Indies (105 and 233 for four) by six wickets. Rain had seeped under the covers and 22 wickets fell on the first day for 207 runs. Worrell took six for 34 in Australia's first innings, and Bill JohnstonBill Johnston (cricketer)
William Arras Johnston was an Australian cricketer who played in forty Test matches from 1947 to 1955. A left arm pace bowler, as well as a left arm orthodox spinner, Johnston was best known as a spearhead of Don Bradman's undefeated 1948 touring team, well known as "The Invincibles"...
took six for 62 when bowling unchanged throughout the West Indies innings. Australia's captain Arthur Morris
Arthur Morris
Arthur Robert Morris MBE is a former Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of...
– Hassett was injured – rejigged the batting order for the second innings. Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson (cricketer)
Ian William Geddes Johnson CBE was an Australian cricketer who played 45 Test matches as a slow off-break bowler between 1946 and 1956. Johnson captured 109 Test wickets at an average of 29.19 runs per wicket and as a lower order batsman made 1,000 runs at an average of...
and Geff Noblet
Geff Noblet
Geffery Noblet was an Australian cricketer who played in 3 Tests from 1950 to 1953....
were out before the end of the first day, but in easier conditions Ring made 67 and Morris 45, while Valentine took six for 102. West Indies needed 233 to win and at 141 for four seemed to be wobbling, but dropped catches allowed Christiani and Gomez to see them home.
Fourth Test, at MelbourneMelbourne Cricket GroundThe 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...
, 31 December, 1, 2, 3, 4 January
West Indies (272 and 203) lost to Australia (216 and 260 for nine) by one wicket. An exciting Test began with a century for Worrell, retrieving West Indies from 30 for three with assistance from Gomez and Christiani. Miller took five for 60. Neil HarveyNeil Harvey
Robert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
, with 83, and Miller put on 124 for the fourth wicket but the other Australian batsmen failed and Trim took five for 34. West Indies lost wickets regularly, though there were 50s for Stollmeyer and Gomez before a late-order collapse left Australia to get 260. Hassett made 102, but wickets fell to the spin of Ramadhin and Valentine, and at 222 for nine, the match seemed lost. But Ring, with 32, and Johnston made 38 for the last wicket to bring an unlikely victory and win the series.
Fifth Test, at SydneySydney Cricket GroundThe Sydney Cricket Ground is a sports stadium in Sydney in Australia. It is used for Australian football, Test cricket, One Day International cricket, some rugby league and rugby union matches and is the home ground for the New South Wales Blues cricket team and the Sydney Swans of the Australian...
, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 January
Australia (116 and 377) beat the West Indies (78 and 213) by 202 runs. First-day humidity helped the swing bowling of Gomez, who took seven for 55, and Worrell (three for 42), but West Indies fared even worse against the bouncers of Lindwall, Johnston and Miller. Australia's dominance was built on painstaking 60s by Colin McDonald, in his first Test match, Hassett, Miller and Graeme HoleGraeme Hole
Graeme Blake Hole was an Australian cricketer....
, though Gomez completed a 10 wicket haul in the match. Lindwall and Miller kept up a barrage of bouncers against the West Indies and only Stollmeyer, who made 104, lasted long. Lindwall finished with five for 52. Richie Benaud
Richie Benaud
Richard "Richie" Benaud OBE is a former Australian cricketer who, since his retirement from international cricket in 1964, has become a highly regarded commentator on the game....
claimed his first Test wicket with the final delivery of the match.