Almanac Teams: Sydney Test Debuts

 

For the upcoming Test series, I am basing a Test XI on players that made their Test debut at the ground.

One team of Australians and one team of visitors

Then after the Test series at some stage I will look at teams based in overseas countries.

The team is a blend of best players in the XI with some that also had a great debut.

I will give a little description on why I chose that player.

I looked forward to all correspondence.

This team is based on the SCG.

 

 

Highlights of the teams are.

• There are 76 Australians and 61 visitors to debut at Sydney .
• Two Australians and three visitors have scored 100 on debut.
• Five Australians took five wickets and three visitors have.
• 28 players from NSW have debuted at the SCG. These players are Sammy Jones, Harry Moses, Charles Turmer, Reginald Allen, Frederick Burton, John Cottam, Frank Iredale, Bert Hopkins, Sammy Carter, Charles MaCartney, Charlie Kelleway, Roy Minnett, Herbie Collins, Jack Gregory, Arthur Mailey, Bert Oldfield, Johnny Taylor, Herbie Collins, Alan Kippax, Richie Benaud, Bill Watson, John Watkins, Rick McCosker, Andrew Hilditch, Peter Taylor, Mark Taylor, Doug Bollinger, and Usman Khawaja.
• What I did notice there was a lot of slow bowlers and all-rounders debuting in Sydney. From what I can see 16 slow bowlers and nine all-rounders for Australia.

 

 

Australia XI

Bill Ponsford

Herbie Collins

Joe Darling (VC)

Jack Ryder

Jack Gregory

Richie Benaud (C)

Bert Oldfield

Shane Warne

Peter Taylor

Charles Turner

Clarrie Grimmett

Twelfth Man Charlie Macartney

 

Others are listed below, but the ones that were unlucky to miss out on the starting XI based on their Test debuts and careers are: Peter Burge, Tibby Cotter, John Ferris, Jason Gillespie, Neil Hawke, Frank Iredale, Charlie Kelleway, Usman Khawaja, Arthur Mailey, Colin McDonald, Vernon Ransford, Victor Richardson, Jack Saunders, Mark Taylor, and Shane Watson.

 

 

Visiting XI

Archie MacLaren – England

Andrew Stoddart – England

George Gunn – England

Patsy Hendren – England

Reginald Foster – England

Jeremy Coney – New Zealand

Junior Murray – West Indies

Leonard Braund – England

Dattu Phadkar – India

Bob Willis – England

Sydney Barnes – England

Twelfth Man Bernard Bosanquet – England

 

 

Australia XI

Bill Ponsford v England 1924

110 and 27

29 Tests, 2122 Runs, Average 48.22, Highest Score 266

Ponsford had a then first class record of 429 runs in a first class match against Tasmania in 1923 in a score of 1,059. Since 1986 Ponsford has had a grandstand named after him at the MCG.

 

Herbie Collins v England 1920

70 and 104

19 Tests, 1,352 Runs, Average 45.06, Highest Score 203, 4 Wickets at 63, Best Bowling 2/47

Collins was Australia Test captain for 11 Tests from 1921-1926.

 

Joe Darling v England 1894

0 and 53

34 Tests, 1,657 Runs, Average 28.56, Highest Score 178

Darling captained Australia 21 times from 1899-1905. Darling had 15 children and upon retirement in cricket he moved to Tasmania where he was a sheep farmer and independent state politician from 1921 to 1946.

 

Jack Ryder v England 1920

5 and 6 and 2/20 and 0/24

20 Tests, 1,394 Runs, Average 51.62, Highest Score 201*, 17 Wickets at 43.70, Best Bowling 2/20

Ryder is the only Test batsman to be run out in both innings on debut. Ryder was a Test selector from 1946 to 1969.

 

Jack Gregory v England 1920

8 and 0 and 3/56 and 3/70

24 Tests, 1,146 Runs, Average 36.96, Highest Score 119, 85 Wickets at 31.15, Best Bowling 7/69

Jack was the nephew of inaugural captain Dave and teammate Ned Gregory. Gregory was an all-rounder who came to prominence with the Australia Services team after World War I before making his Test debut. Gregory was known to often bat without a box.

 

Richie Benaud v West Indies 1952

3 and 19 and 1/14

63 Tests, 2,201 Runs, Average 24.45, Highest Score 122, 248 Wickets at 27.03, Best Bowling 7/72

Benaud captained Australia 28 times from 1958-1964 and became the first player to complete the Test double of 2,000 Runs and 200 Wickets.

 

Bert Oldfield v England 1920

7 and 16 and 1 Catch and 2 Stumpings

54 Tests, 1,427 Runs, Average 22.65, Highest Score 65*, 78 Catches and 52 Stumpings

In just over 16 year Test career Oldfield missed only one Test, the Fourth Test in 1932-1933 Bodyline series having been struck in the head by Larwood bouncer in Adelaide.

 

Shane Warne v India 1992

20 and 1* and 1/150

145 Tests, 3,154 Runs, Average 17.32, Highest Score 99, 708 Wickets at 25.41, Best Bowling 8/71

Warne’s first Test wicket was Ravi Shastri for 206. Warne has the most wickets in a calendar year with 96 and most runs without a Test hundred with 3,154.

 

Peter Taylor v England 1987

11 and 42 and 6/78 and 2/76

13 Tests, 431 Runs, Average 26.93, Highest Score 87, 27 Wickets at 39.55, Best Bowling 6/78

Before his Test debut Taylor had played just one Sheffield Shield season, one week prior to the Fifth Test. The match was against Tasmania in Hobart where he took 1/34 and 0/49 hence the Peter Who nickname. Australia had also dropped opening bat David Boon with no replacement named (Greg Ritchie would open), the match prior Mark Taylor made 186 and people thought it was Taylor who was selected.

 

Charlie Turner v England 1887

3 and 7 and 6/15 and 2/53

17 Tests, 323 Runs, Average 11.53, Highest Score 29, 101 Wickets at 16.53, Best Bowling 7/43

Turner shared the new ball with fellow debutant John Ferris on debut with Turner taking eight wickets and Ferris nine. Turner is the only cricketer to take 50 wickets in their first six Tests.

 

Clarrie Grimmett v England 1925

12* and 0 and 5/45 and 6/37

37 Tests, 557 Runs, Average 13.92, Highest Score 50, 216 Wickets at 24.21, Best Bowling 7/40

Grimmett was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia at age 23 as New Zealand was not a Test playing nation. Grimmett debuted aged 33, played Tests for 11 years and first class cricket until he was 50. Grimmett holds the record for most wickets in Sheffield Shield with 513 (72 ahead of second placed Michael Kasprowicz) and took 1,424 first class wickets.

 

Twelfth Man Charlie Macartney v England 1907

35 and 9 and 0/5 and 1/39

35 Tests, 2,131 Runs, Average 41.78, Highest Score 170, 45 Wickets at 27.55, Best Bowling 7/58

Possibly unlucky to miss to Benaud as slow bowling all-rounder, Macartney had the great nickname of the Governor-General and was a favourite cricketer of Don Bradman when he saw his first ever Test.

 

 

 

Others

George Coulthard v England 1882

6*

1 Test, 6 Runs

Coulthard was Victoria’s twelfth man when he was called into the Test side to replace the injured Fred Spofforth and Alick Bannerman.

 

Sammy Jones v England 1882

37 and 13* and 1/19

12 Tests, 428 Runs, Average 21.40,  Highest Score 87, 6 Wickets at 18.66, Best Bowling 4/47

Does have the middle name of Percy. Jones was run out by Dr WG Grace in 1882 when he left his crease to pat down the pitch. Jones had assumed the ball was dead. Karma struck England back at Lords 156 years later.

 

John Ferris v England Jan 1887

1 and 0* and 4/27 and 5/76

8 Tests for Australia and 1 Test for England

9 Tests, 114 Runs, Average 8.76, Highest Score 20*, 61 Wickets at 12.70, Best Bowling 7/37 (for England) and 5/26 (for Australia)

Ferris played his 8 Tests from 1887-1890 with Australia and one Test with England v South Africa in South Africa in 1892. Ferris stayed in England after the 1890 tour and played his one Test for England with former captain Billy Murdoch.

 

Harry Moses v England Jan 1887

31 and 24

6 Tests, 198 Runs, Average 19.80, Highest Score 33

Moses after he retired was a champion lawn bowler for NSW for 16 years captaining the state 60 times.

 

Reginald Allen v England March 1887

14 and 30

1 Test, 44 Runs, Average 22

Allen in the second innings was caught by a substitute fielder, the fielder was his own teammate Charles Turner who was acting as the substitute.

 

Frederick Burton v England March 1887

0* and 2* and 1 stumping.

2 Tests, 4 Runs, Average 2, Highest Score 2*, 1 catch and 1 stumping.

 

John Cottam v England March 1887

1 and 3

1 Test, 4 Runs, Average 2

 

Walter Giffen v England March 1887

2 and 0

3 Tests, 11 Runs, Average 1.83, Highest Score 4

Walter was two years younger than George and was thought to have only played and toured for Australia because George said he would refuse unless Walter joined him in the team.

 

Jack Lyons v England March 1887

11 and 0 and 0/11

14 Tests, 731 Runs, Average 27.07, Highest Score 134, 6 Wickets at 24.83, Best Bowling 5/30

 

Frank Iredale v England 1894

81 and 5 and 0/3

14 Tests, 807 Runs, Average 36.68, Highest Score 140

Iredale would become a Test selector after his retirement.

 

Ernie Jones v England 1894

11* and 1 and 1/44 and 1/57

19 Tests, 126 Runs, Average 5.04. Highest Score 20, 64 Wickets at 29.01, Best Bowling 7/88

Jones was a fast bowler who was said to have bowled a ball through Dr Grace’s beard.

 

Charlie McLeod v England 1894

15 and 2* and 0/25 and 2/67

17 Tests, 573 Runs, Average 23.87, Highest Score 112, 33 Wickets at 40.15, Best Bowling 5/65

McLeod was deaf in one Test in 1897-1898; he was bowled by a no ball and having not heard the call he left the wicket and was then run out by England wicketkeeper Bill Storer.

 

John Reedman v England 1894

17 and 4 and 1/12 and 0/12

1 Test, 21 Runs, Average 10.50, 1 Wicket at 24

Reedman was a champion footballer for North Adelaide and was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

 

Bert Hopkins v England 1902

43

20 Tests, 509 Runs, Average 16.41, Highest Score 43, 26 Wickets at 26.76, Best Bowling 4/81

 

Jack Saunders v England 1902

0 and 4/119 and 5/43

14 Tests, 39 Runs, Average 2.29, Highest Score 11*, 79 Wickets at 22.73, Best Bowling 7/34

Saunders moved to New Zealand in 1910 and played for New Zealand in a first class match against Australia in 1913-1914.

 

Tibby Cotter  v England 1904

0 and 34 and 0/44 and 3/41

21 Tests, 457 Runs, Average 13.05, Highest Score 45, 89 Wickets at 28.64, Best Bowling 7/148

Cotter was a fast bowler for his era who was tragically killed at Beersheba in World War I in 1917.

 

Peter McAlister v England 1904

2 and 1

8 Tests, 252 Runs, Average 16.80, Highest score 41

McAlister was appointed Chairman of Selectors for the 1909 tour of England, he persuaded his colleges to appoint him as vice-captain and tour manager (ahead of the players’ choice Frank Laver) for the tour. In 1912 he had dispute with the big six in the Australian team over selection. The big six – being Clem Hill, Warwick Armstrong, Victor Trumper, Vernon Ransford, Tibby Cotter, and Hanson Carter – wanted Charlie Macartney in the side, McAlister (who was now on the board) didn’t want him and said he could only play if captain Clem Hill pulled out. This led to a brawl between Hill and McAlister and the big six pulling out of the 1912 tour.

 

Sammy Carter v England 1907

25 and 61 and 1 catch.

28 Tests, 873 Runs, Average 22.97, Highest Score 72, 44 Catches and 21 Stumpings

Carter was an undertaker who would sometimes arrive to a match in a hearse. Carter is credited with being the first wicketkeeper to squat on his haunches rather than bend over from the waist. As for batting, he is also credited with being the first to do the scoop shot over fine leg.

 

Gerry Hazlitt v England 1907

18* and 34* and 0/32 and 0/24

9 Tests, 89 Runs, Average 11.12, Highest Score 34*, 23 Wickets at 27.08, Best Bowling 7/25

 

Vernon Ransford v England 1907

24 and 13

20 Tests, 1,211 Runs, Average 37.84, Highest Score 143*, 1 Wicket at 28, Best Bowling 1/9

Ransford’s sole wicket was South African opening bat Billy Zulch, bowled for 150. Ransford was President of Melbourne Football Club from 1927-1928 and secretary of the MCC from 1939-1957.

 

Charlie Kelleway v South Africa 1910

14* and 0/33 and 2/37

26 Tests, 1,422 Runs, Average 37.42, Highest Score 147, 52 Wickets at 32.36, Best Bowling 5/33

Kelleway was the first captain of the Australian Imperial Force touring XI that toured England in 1919.

 

Roy Minnett v England 1911

90 and 17 and 0/3

9 Tests, 391 Runs, Average 26.06, Highest Score 90, 11 Wickets at 26.36, Best Bowling 4/34

Minnett retired at the age of 26 to concentrate on his medical career.

 

John McLaren v England 1912

0* and 0* and 0/47 and 1/23

1 Test 0 Runs, 1 Wicket, Average 70

 

Arthur Mailey v England 1920

10* and 0* and 3/95 and 3/105

21 Tests, 222 Runs, Average 11.10, Highest Score 46*, 99 Wickets at 33.91, Best Bowling 9/121

Mailey’s 9/121 against England at the MCG is the Test record for an Australian bowler. He also took 10/66 against Gloucestershire in 1921 and in 1926-1927 against a Victorian side that made 1,107, Mailey bowled 64 eight bowl overs, zero maidens, 4/362.

 

Nip Pellew v England 1920

36 and 16

10 Tests, 484 Runs, Average 37.23, Highest Score 116.

 

Johnny Taylor v England 1920

34 and 51

20 Tests, 997 Runs, Average 35.60, Highest Score 108, 1 Wicket at 45, Best Bowling 1/25

At the time Taylor and Arthur Mailey held the record for a 10th wicket partnership with 127 against England in Sydney 1924.

 

Arthur Richardson v England 1924

22 and 92 and 0/0 and 0/13

9 Tests, 403 Runs, Average 31, Highest Score 100, 12 Wickets at 43.41, Best Bowling 2/20

Arthur Richardson umpired two Test matches in 1935.

 

Victor Richardson v England 1924

42 and 18

19 Tests, 706 Runs, Average 25.53, Highest Score 138

Richardson captained Australia five times in South Africa in 1935-1936 and was vice captain during Bodyline. Richardson was a talented athlete who won a Magarey Medal in 1920 as captain-coach of Sturt. He also represented Australia in baseball and South Australia in golf and tennis. Victor is the grandfather of the Chappell brothers and has the Victor Richardson gates at the Adelaide Oval named after him.

 

Alan Kippax v England 1925

42 and 8

22 Tests, 1,192 Runs, Average 36.12, Highest Score 146

Kippax was one of the first casualties of Bodyline, dropped after failing in the first Test. He wrote a book after the series called Anti Bodyline.

 

Don Blackie v England 1928

8 and 11* and 4/148 and 0/12

3 Tests, 24 Runs, Average 8, Highest Score 11, 14 Wickets at 31.71, Best Bowling 6/94

Blackie is the oldest Australian to make his Test debut and third oldest ever at 46 years 253 days (just 16 days older than Bert Ironmonger). He played first class cricket until he was 51 years old.

 

Otto Nothling v England 1928

8 and 44 and 0/60

1 Test, 52 Runs, Average 26

Nothling also played 19 times for Australia in Rugby Union.

 

Keith Rigg v West Indies 1931

14 and 16

8 Tests, 401 Runs, Average 33.41, Highest Score 127.

 

Philip Lee v South Africa 1931

0 and 0/24 and 1/25

2 Tests, 57 Runs, Average 19, Highest Score 42, 5 Wickets at 42.40, Best Bowling 4/111

Lee was a premiership player for Norwood in 1923.

 

Lisle Nagel v England 1932

0 and 21* and 2/110

1 Test, 21 Runs, Average 21, 2 Wickets

Nagel was selected on his 8/32 for Australian XI against England just prior to the first Test.

 

Harry Alexander v England 1933

17* and 0 and 1/129 and 0/25

1 Test, 17 Runs, Average 17, 1 Wicket at 154

Alexander was picked for the last Test of the Bodyline series, where, while expensive, scored several hits on the English batters.

 

Fred Freer v England 1946

28* and 1/25 and 2/49

1 Test, 28 Runs, 3 Wickets at 24.66

Freer’s appearance for Australia was due to chickenpox to Ray Lindwall. Freer 28* was off 21 balls and included three fours and one six.

 

Ron Hamence v England 1947

30* and 1

3 Tests, 81 Runs, Average 27, Highest Score 30*

Hamence was a member of the 1948 Invincibles side.

 

Colin McDonald v West Indies 1952

32 and 62

47 Tests, 3,107 Runs, Average 39.32, Highest Score 170

McDonald would debut as opening bat in the same Test as George Thoms who was his Victorian state and Melbourne University club teammate.

 

George Thoms v West Indies 1952

16 and 28

1 Test, 44 Runs, Average 22

Thoms retired from cricket as he was pursuing a medical career, and did not want to damage his hands. He introduced laser surgery to Australia in the 1970s.

 

Peter Burge v England 1955

17 and 18*

42 Tests, 2,290 Runs, Average 38.16, Highest Score 181

When Burge was selected for the 1955 tour of the West Indies his father was the Australian team manager of the team and a meeting was held to officially allow Peter to call his father Jack instead of Dad.

 

Bill Watson v England 1955

18 and 3

4 Tests, 106 Runs, Average 17.66, Highest Score 30.

 

Keith Slater v England 1959

1* and 2/40 and 0/61

1 Tests, 1 Run, 2 Wickets at 50.50

Slater was a champion footballer for Swan Districts and Subiaco and is in the Swan Districts team of the century.

 

Colin Guest v England January 1963

11 and 0/51 and 0/8

1 Test, 11 Runs, Average 11.

 

Barry Shepherd v England January 1963

71*

9 Tests, 502 Runs, Average 41.83, Highest Score 96

Shepherd represented Western Australia in football and hockey.

 

Neil Hawke v England February 1963

14 and 2/51 and 0/38

27 Tests, 365 Runs, Average 16.59, Runs 45*, 91 Wickets at 29.41, Best Bowling 7/105

In 1964 Hawke toured England where he became Fred Trueman’s 300th wicket and where he also qualified for the British Amateur Golf Championship.

 

Les Joslin v India 1968

7 and 2

1 Test, 9 Runs, Average 4.50.

 

Tony Dell v England 1971

3* and 3* and 2/32 and 3/65

2 Tests, 6 Runs, 6 Wickets at 26.66, Best Bowling 3/65.

 

Ken Eastwood v England 1971

5 and 0 and 1/21

1 Test, 5 Runs, Average 2.50, 1 Wicket at 21

Eastwood was 35 when he made his Test debut replacing his Victorian teammate and then Australian captain Bill Lawry who was dropped.

 

John Watkins v Pakistan 1973

3* and 36 and 0/21

1 Test, 39 Runs, Average 39

Watkins was mainly picked due to a tour of West Indies coming up and Australia’s frontline slow bowler Ashley Mallett was unable to tour. Watkins bowled six overs that struggled to hit the pitch. He also shared an 83 run partnership with Bob Massie for the ninth wicket.

 

Rick McCosker v England 1975

80

25 Tests, 1,622 Runs, Average 39.56, Highest Score 127

McCosker is best known for having his jaw broken by Bob Willis in the 1977 Centenary Test and then returning in the second innings all bandaged up to help Rodney Marsh make a 100.

 

Graham Yallop v West Indies 1976

16 and 16*

39 Tests, 2,756 Runs, Average 41.13, Highest Score 268, 1 Wicket at 116, Best Bowling 1/21

Yallop was captain of Australia for seven Tests in 1978-1979 during World Series Cricket.

 

Andrew Hilditch v England 1979

3 and 1

18 Tests, 1,073 Runs, Average 31.55, Highest Score 119

Hilditch is best known for an incident in his third ever Test. On 29 in the second innings against Pakistan a wayward throw from the fielder landed on the pitch, Hilditch bent over and picked the ball up and handed it to the bowler Sarfraz Nawaz who appealed and Hilditch was given out. After being recalled to the Australian side against West Indies in 1984-1985, Hilditch was made vice-captain of the 1985 Ashes squad.

 

Robbie Kerr v New Zealand 1985

7 and 7

2 Tests, 31 Runs, Average 7.75, Highest Score 17.

 

Trevor Hohns v West Indies 1989

0 and 1/49 and 3/69

7 Tests, 136 Runs, Average 22.86, Highest Score 40, 17 Wickets at 34.11, Best Bowling 3/59

Hohns went on the rebel tours to South Africa in 1975-1976 and 1986-1987 and was an Australian selector from 1994-2006 and then 2014-2021.

 

Mark Taylor v West Indies 1989

25 and 3

104 Tests, 7,525 Runs, Average 43.49, Highest Score 334*, 1 Wicket at 26, Best Bowling 1/11

Taylor’s Ashes debut was his third ever Test and he scored 839 runs (third only to Bradman with 974) at 83.90 with top score of 219.

 

Jason Gillespie v West Indies 1996

16* and 2/62 and 0/27

71 Tests, 1,218 Runs, Average 18.73, Highest Score 201*, 259 Wickets at 26.13, Best Bowling 7/37

Gillespie is the first Indigenous male player to play Test cricket for Australia. In Gillespie last ever Test he made 201* as a nightwatchman in Bangladesh.

 

Brad Williams – Zimbabwe 2003

7 and 2/58 and 2/56

4 Tests, 23 Runs, Average 7.66, Highest Score 10*, 9 Wickets at 45.11, Best Bowling 4/53.

 

Shane Watson v Pakistan 2005

31 and 0/28 and 1/32

59 Tests, 3731 Runs, Average 35.19, Highest Score 176, 75 Wickets at 33.58, Best Bowling 6/33

Watson captained Australia once in 2013 in India when Michael Clarke was injured.

 

Doug Bollinger v South Africa 2009

0* and 0/78  and 2/53

12 Tests, 54 Runs, Average 7.71, Highest Score 21, 50 Wickets at 25.92, Best Bowling 5/28.

 

Andrew McDonald v South Africa 2009

15 and 1/41 and 2/32

4 Tests, 107 Runs, Average 21.40, Highest Score 68, 9 Wickets at 33.33, Best Bowling 3/25

McDonald has been Australia’s coach since 2022 after stints as coach at Leicestershire and Victoria.

 

Michael Beer v England 2011

2* and 2 and 1/112

2 Tests, 6 Runs, Average 3, Highest Score 2*, 3 Runs at 59.33, Best Bowling 2/56

In his second Test in 2012 in the West Indies, Beer opened the bowling in both innings.

 

Usman Khawaja v England 2011

37 and 21

77 Tests, 5,592 Runs, Average 44.38, Highest Score 195*

Khawaja was the ICC Test cricketer of the year in 2023.

 

Hilton Cartwright v Pakistan 2017

37 and 0/15

2 Tests, 55 Runs, Average 27.50, Highest Score 37, 0 Wickets.

 

Will Pucovski v India 2021

62 and 10

1 Test, 72 Runs, Average 36.

 

 

Visiting XI

Archie Maclaren – England 1894

4 and 20

35 Tests, 1,931 Runs, Average 33.87, Highest Score 140

MacLaren captained England 22 times between 1897-1909 and set a first class record of 424 for Lancashire until it was beaten by Don Bradman with 454*.

 

Andrew Stoddart – England 1888

16 and 17

16 Tests, 996 Runs, Average 35.57, Highest Score 173, 2 Wickets at 47, Best Bowling 1/10

Stoddart captained England in cricket, rugby union and apparently an Australian rules match while England toured in 1888.

 

George Gunn – England 1907

119 and 74

15 Tests, 1,120 Runs, Average 40, Highest Score 122*.

Gunn was not selected for the 1907-1908 tour to Australia but decided to visit for the good of his health. It was then decided he would be used if necessary and for the First Test of the Ashes it was deemed necessary. Gunn played 11 Tests by February 1912, and then had to wait 17 years and 316 days before he would play his next one at age 50.

 

Patsy Hendren – England 1920

28 and 56

51 Tests, 3,525 Runs, Average 47.63, Highest Score 205*, 1 Wicket at 31, Best Bowling 1/27

Hendren played one international match for England in football in 1919. In 1933 Hendren invented a type of helmet to play against the West Indies. It was a rubber hat with three peaks with two fitted over the side of his head.

 

Reginald Tip Foster – England 1903

287 and 19

8 Tests, 602 Runs, Average 46.30, Highest Score 287

Foster’s 287 is the highest score made by anyone on debut. Foster captained England in cricket and football and is the only player ever to do so.

 

Jeremy Coney – New Zealand 1974

45 and 11

52 Tests, 2,668 Runs, Average 37.57, Highest Score 174*, 27 Wickets at 35.77, Best Bowling 3/28

Coney was in New Zealand when they beat Australia in Australia in 1985-1986.

 

Junior Murray – West Indies 1993

11 Runs and 4 Catches

33 Tests, 918 Runs, Average 22.39, Highest Score 101*, 99 Catches and 3 Stumpings

Murray was the first player from Grenada to play Test cricket.

 

Leonard Braund – England 1901

58 and 2/40 and 5/61

23 Tests, 987 Runs, Average 25.97, Highest Score, 47 Wickets at 38.51, Best Bowling 8/81

Braund umpired three Tests between 1926-1929.

 

Dattu Phadkar – India 1947

51 and 2 and 3/14

31 Tests, 1,229 Runs, Average 32.34, Highest Score 123, 62 Wickets at 36.85, Best Bowling 7/159

Phadkar scored 156 at the age of 10 in an inter-school match.

 

Bob Willis – England 1971

15* and 0/26 and 1/1

90 Tests, 840 Runs, Average 11.50, Highest Score 28*, 325 Wickets at 25.20, Best Bowling 8/43

Willis captained England for the 1982-1983 tour of Australia. Willis is best known for his 8/43 against Australia at Headingly in 1981 in the match Botham blasted a hundred in the second innings.

 

 

 

 

Sydney Barnes – England 1901

26* and 5/65 and 1/74

27 Tests, 242 Runs, Average 8.06, Highest Score 38*, 189 Wickets at 16.43, Best Bowling 9/103

Barnes is considered one of the greatest bowlers ever and his highlights include most Test wickets in a series with 49 wickets in four Tests at 10.93 and fastest to 150 Test wickets. He took 719 first class wickets.

 

Twelfth man Bernard Bosanquet – England 1903

2 and 1* and 2/52 and 1/100

7 Tests, 147 Runs, Average 13.36, Highest Score 27, 25 Wickets at 24.16, Best Bowling 8/107

Bosanquet is best known as the bowler that invented the googly.

 

Others

Billy  Gunn – England Jan 1887

0 and 4

11 Tests, 392 Runs, Average 21.77, Highest Score 102*

Gunn played two games for England in football scoring one goal in the inaugural 1884 British home championship.

 

Mordecai Sherwin – England Jan 1887

0* and 21* and 1 catch.

3 Tests, 30 Runs, Average 15, Highest Score 21*, 5 Catches and 2 Stumpings

Sherwin umpired one Test in 1899. He was also a goalkeeper for Notts County from 1883 to 1888.

 

Reginald Wood – England March 1887

6 and 0

1 Test, 6 Runs, Average 3

Wood had emigrated to Victoria in 1885 and when one of the touring parties for England in 1887 was injured, Wood was added to the team at late notice.

 

Billy Newham – England 1888

9 and 17

1 Test, 26 Runs, Average 13.

 

Jack Brown – England 1894

22 and 53

8 Tests, 470 Runs, Average 36.15, Highest Score 140.

 

Francis Ford – England 1894

30 and 48 and 1/47

5 Tests, 168 Runs, Average 18.66, Highest Score 48, 1 Wicket at 129, Best Bowling 1/47.

 

Leslie Gay – England 1894

33 and 4 and 3 Catches and 1 Stumping

1 Test, 37 Runs, Average 18.50

Gay played three times for England in football as a goalkeeper between 1893-1894.

 

Bill Storer – England 1897

43 and 1 catch.

6 Tests, 215 Runs, Average 19.54, Highest Score 51, 11 Catches

Storer was thought to be the first wicketkeeper to stand up to quick bowlers.

 

Jack Mason – England 1897

6 and 32 and 1/8 and 0/10

5 Tests, 129 Runs, Average 12.90, Highest Score 32, 2 Wickets at 74.50, Best Bowling 1/8.

 

George Hirst – England 1897

62 and 0/57 and 0/49

24 Tests, 790 Runs, Average 22.57, Highest Score 85, 59 Wickets at 30, Best Bowling 5/48

Hirst did the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets 14 times in County Cricket, second only to Wilfred Rhodes.

 

Frank Druce – England 1897

20

5 Tests, 252 Runs, Average 28, Highest Score 64.

 

Colin Blythe – England 1901

20 and 3/26 and 4/30

19 Tests, 183 Runs, Average 9.63, Highest Score 27,100 Wickets at 18.63, Best Bowling 8/59.

Blythe was unfortunately killed in World War 1 aged 38 in the battle of Passchendaele.

 

John Gunn – England 1901

21 and 0/27

6 Tests, 85 Runs, Average 10.62, Highest Score 24, 18 Wickets at 21.50, Best Bowling 5/76

John is the older brother of George and nephew of Billy.

 

Charlie McGahey – England 1902

18 and 13

2 Tests, 38 Runs, Average 9.50, Highest Score 18.

 

Ted Arnold v England 1903

27 and 4/76 and 2/93

10 Tests, 160 Runs, Average 13.33, Highest Score 40, 31 Wickets at 25.41, Best Bowling 5/37.

 

Albert Relf v England 1903

31 and 0/27 and 0/35

13 Tests, 416 Runs, Average 23.11, Highest Score 63, 25 Wickets at 24.96, Best Bowling 5/85.

 

Joe Hardstaff Snr – England 1907

12 and 63

5 Tests, 311 Runs, Average 31.10, Highest Score 72

Joe umpired 21 Tests between 1928 and 1935 and was forced to retire as his son Joe Jnr debuted for England in 1935.

Kenneth Hutchings – England 1907

42 and 17

7 Tests, 341 Runs, Average 28.41, Highest Score 126, 1 Wicket at 81, Best Bowling 1/5

Hutchings was unfortunately killed in the Battle of the Somme in World War I in 1916.

 

Dick Young – England 1907

13 and 3 and 2 catches

2 Tests, 27 Runs, Average 6.75, Highest Score 13, 6 Catches

Young represented England in both cricket and football.

 

Johnny Douglas – England 1911

0 and 32

23 Tests, 962 Runs, Average 29.15, Highest Score 119, 45 Wickets at 33.02, Best Bowling 5/46

Douglas captained England in 18 Tests pre and post-World War 1. He also won a gold medal at the 1908 Olympics in middleweight boxing.

 

Frank Foster – England 1911

56 and 21 and 2/105 and 5/92

11 Tests, 330 Runs, Average 23.57, Highest Score 71, 45 Wickets at 20.57, Best Bowling 6/91

Foster’s Test career was cut short due to motorbike accident in World War 1.

 

Young Jack W Hearne – England 1911

76 and 43 and 1/44 and 0/51

24 Tests, 806 Runs, Average 26, Highest Score 114, 30 Wickets at 48.73, Best Bowling 5/49

Called Young Jack to distinguish from his cousin and teammate Jack T Hearne who played 12 Tests. Hearne took 7/2 in 25 balls for Middlesex against Essex.

 

Septimus Kinneir – England 1911

22 and 30

1 Test, 52 Runs, Average 26, Highest Score 30.

 

Charles Philip Mead – England 1911

0 and 25

17 Tests, 1,185 Runs, Average 49.37, Highest Score 182*.

Mead holds the record for the most career runs in England County Cricket with 46,268 ahead of Frank Woolley with 43,703. Only Hobbs, Woolley and Hendren have more first class runs than Mead.

 

Cec Parkin – England 1920

4* and 4 and 1/58 and 3/102

10 Tests, 160 Runs, Average 12.30, Highest Score 36, 32 Wickets at 35.25, Best Bowling 5/38

Parkin would test any new deliveries he was trying on his wife in the nets.

 

Jack Russell – England 1920

0 and 5

10 Tests, 910 Runs, Average 56.87, Highest Score 140

Russell was the first batter to score a century in both innings of the same Test for England against South Africa in Durban which also happened to be his last Test.

 

Abe Waddington – England 1920

7 and 3 and 1/35 and 0/53

2 Tests, 16 Runs, Average 4, Highest Score 7, 1 Wicket at 119, Best Bowling 1/35.

 

Rockley Wilson – England 1921

5 and 5 and 2/28 and 1/8

1 Test, 10 Runs, Average 5, 3 Wickets at 12

Wilson was a teacher at Winchester and taught Douglas Jardine and was asked by a journalist about England chances under Jardine in the Ashes he said the famous line ‘He might win us the Ashes, but he might lose us a dominion.’

 

Tich Freeman – England 1924

0 and 50*

12 Tests, 154 Runs, Average 14, Highest Score 50*, 66 Wickets at 25.86, Best Bowling 7/71

Freeman is the only man to take 300 wickets in a county season and with 3,776 wickets he has the second most ever in first class cricket.

 

Nawab of Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi – England 1932

102

3 Tests England, 3 Tests India

6 Tests, 199 Runs, Average 19.30, Highest Score 102

Pataudi was an Indian Prince who studied at Oxford and earnt his spot on 1932-1933 Ashes tour after just three games for Worcestershire and then 165 for the Gentleman XI. Pataudi scored a hundred in the first Bodyline Test but refused to take up his position in the field set up. Pataudi went back to India but was unable to go to England in 1936 due to health reasons. He captained India in England in 1946.

 

John Warr – England 1951

4 and 0 and 0/142

2 Tests, 4 Runs, Average 1, Highest Score 4, 1 Wicket at 281, Best Bowling 1/76.

 

Roy Swetman – England 1959

41 and 5 and 1 catch.

11 Tests, 254 Runs, Average 16.93, Highest Score 65, 24 Catches and 2 stumpings.

 

Gary Ballance – England 2014

18 and 7

23 Tests England and 1 Test Zimbabwe

24 Tests, 1,653 Runs, Average 40.31, Highest Score 156

Balance was born in Zimbabwe and moved to England as a schoolboy for better opportunities at school and cricket.

 

Boyd Rankin – England 2014

13 and 0 and 0/34 and 1/47

1 Test England and 2 Tests Ireland

3 Tests, 43 Runs, Average 8.60, Highest Score 17, 8 Wickets at 38, Best Bowling 2/5

Rankin was born in Londonderry and played the last Test of 2013-2014 Ashes. With Ireland given Test status and Rankin’s chances of a recall very limited, he went back to play for Ireland.

 

Scott Borthwick – England 2014

1 and 4 and 1/49 and 3/33

1 Test, 5 Runs, Average 2.50, 4 Wickets at 20.50.

 

Mason Crane – England 2018

4 and 2 and 1/193

1 Test, 6 Runs, Average 3, 1 Wicket at 193.

 

Amir Elahi – India 1947

4 and 13

1 Test India and 5 Tests Pakistan

6 Tests, 82 Runs, Average 10.25, Highest Score 47, 7 Wickets at 35.42, Best Bowling 4/134

Elahi played his Test for India before Pakistan reached independence. His five Tests for Pakistan were against India in India in 1952.

 

Subroto Banerjee – India 1992

3 and 3/47

1 Test, 3 Runs, 3 Wickets at 15.66

Banerjee’s only Test was at the SCG where strangely India went into the match with four quick bowlers.

 

Navdeep Saini – India 2021

3 and 2/65 and 2/54

2 Tests, 8 Runs, Average 4, Highest Score 5, 4 Wickets at 43, Best Bowling 2/54

Saina’s first Test wicket was of fellow debutant Will Pucovski.

 

Glenn Phillips – New Zealand 2020

52 and 0

15 Tests, 728 Runs, Average 33.09, Highest Score 87, 31 Wickets at 31.06, Best Bowling 5/45.

 

Haroon Rasheed – Pakistan 1977

57

23 Tests, 1217 Runs, Average 34.77, Highest Score 153

Rasheed was pulled out of his car in Karachi shopping centre after 1979 World Cup and asked to explain his slow batting in the semi final and then in later years as Test selector he was shot at.

 

Nadeem Ghauri – Pakistan 1990

0 and 0/20

1 Test, 0 Runs, 0 Wickets

Ghauri umpired 17 Tests from 2005 to 2013 but was sacked after he was found guilty of willing to accept money for favourable decisions.

 

Mohammad Asif – Pakistan 2005

0* and 12* and 0/72 and 0/26

23 Tests, 141 Runs, Average 5.64, Highest Score 29, 106 Wickets at 24.36, Best Bowling 6/41

Asif in 2006 was guilty of Testing positive to an anabolic steroid which was later overturned. In 2008 he was found to have found drugs on him in Dubai and then Tested positive to a banned substance in the IPL. In 2010 he was accused of deliberately bowling no balls for money from a betting syndicate. Asif along with Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir were found guilty and he was given a 12 month prison sentence. Asif never played for Pakistan again.

 

Sharjeel Khan – Pakistan 2017

4 and 40

1 Test, 44 Runs, Average 22

Sharjeel in 2017 was banned for two seasons for spot fixing in the Pakistan Super League.

 

Saim Ayub – Pakistan 2024

0 and 33

7 Tests, 364 Runs, Average 26, Highest Score 77, 3 Wickets at 45, Best Bowling 2/101.

 

Ormerod Pearse – South Africa 1910

16 and 31 and 3/56

3 Tests. 55 Runs, Average 9.16, Highest Score 31, 3 Wickets at 35.33, Best Bowling 3/56.

 

Lennox Brown – South Africa 1931

2 and 8 and 1/100

2 Tests, 17 Runs, Average 5.66, Highest Score 8, 3 Wickets at 63, Best Bowling 1/30.

 

Clive Halse – South Africa 1964

1* and 1/36 and 1/58

3 Tests, 30 Runs, Highest Score 19*, 6 Wickets at 43.33, Best Bowling 3/50.

 

Justin Ontong – South Africa 2002

9 and 32 and 0/10

2 Tests, 57 Runs, Average 19, Highest Score 32, 1 Wicket at 133, Best Bowling 1/79

Ontong was a controversial debut as the selectors had originally chosen Jacques Rudolph to debut but were overruled by Cricket South Africa board as Ontong would meet South Africa’s Coloured players quota.

 

Jothan Botha – South Africa 2006

20* and 1/26 and 1/77

5 Tests, 83 Runs, Average 20.75, Highest Score 25, 17 Wickets at 33.70, Best Bowling 4/56

Botha is the current Queensland state and Brisbane Heat coach.

 

Gavin Ewing – Zimbabwe 2003

1 and 0 and 0/53 and 0/20

3 Tests, 108 Runs, Average 18, Highest Score 71, 2 Wickets at 130, Best Bowling 1/27

 

 

 

 

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