He bowled well on a dusty wicket at Headingley, although his figures were hurt by fielding errors, and that winter went to South Africa.

In 1939, Wright advanced so much that he was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year and produced two sensational performances: sixteen for 80 against Somerset, and nine for 47 on a dusty wicket at Bristol, against Gloucestershire.

Wright was seen as England's trump card when he arrived in Australia, but had trouble with his no balls due to his odd run up "He waves his arms widely, and rocks on his legs like a small ship pitching and tossing in a fairly heavy sea.

"[7] Jack Fingleton called the no-ball "Wright's curse...He's probably bowled more of these than any other spinner in history",[8] "On at least four occasions he was convinced he had Bradman in his bag but it was not to be.

In the Second Test at Sydney Wright (1/169) “bowled beautifully with the most wretched luck”,[5] in one over "On four occasions Hammond, usually most undemonstrative, threw his hands in the air as the ball beat Bradman and shaved the stumps, and in between these near dismissals there was a confident appeal for leg before wicket.

[14] At the start of each Test, Wright would receive telegrams and letters from well-wishers who had lamented his bad luck "Never a match went by in which he did not hopelessly defeat the defences of the leading run-getters.

Times out of number he had Barnes, Bradman, Hassett and their like groping forward hypnotised by the magic of his spinning witchcraft".

Alec Bedser shut up his end and conceded only 15 runs while Wright span his way through the Australian batting with a spell of 5/42 with Lindsay Hassett, Colin McCool, Don Tallon, Ray Lindwall and George Tribe all falling to catches close to the wicket.

[16] However, the following two years were plagued by injury and Wright did little in the Tests, but he showed many times that he was still the most dangerous English bowler in dry weather – especially in terms of ability to dismiss top batsmen.

[20][21] In the England innings he joined Len Hutton at 219/9 and made 14 of their last wicket stand of 53 as the Yorkshire batsman carried his bat for 156 not out.

In order to regain supremacy in international cricket, England captains began to change to tactics that emphasised reducing the ability for batsmen to score.

However, in August 1953, Wright became Kent's first professional captain, and in contrast to Eric Hollies the job seemed to help his bowling, for in 1954 with pitches totally unsuited he took 105 wickets and in 1955 he had one of his best seasons.