English cricket team in Australia in 1946–47
They were regarded as a sound team which was just as strong as Australia, but due to World War II they were an ageing side (only Godfrey Evans was under 28) and their bowling depended heavily on Alec Bedser and Doug Wright, who were overused and exhausted as a result.
The MCC saw Hammond leading a "Goodwill Tour" of Australia to re-establish sporting relations after World War II, and was told that good sportsmanship was more important that winning the series, an attitude that prevailed into the 1950s and 1960s.
Unlike the Australians, the selectors preferred to use cricketers who had made their name in the 1930s and selection appeared to be on the basis of pleasing the English public, who only knew the older players.
Unlike later tours Howard was in charge of both the social calendar and public relations as well as the finances, though they tended to leave the nut and bolts of moving the team around to the baggage-master and scorer Bill Ferguson.
The 66-year-old scorer had toured with the MCC since 1907–08 and devised the famous Ferguson Charts which gave greater detail than other scorecards, noting each ball bowled by from which bowler to which batsman.
Like other brilliant natural sportsmen to whom success has come easily Hammond had little apparent understanding of the problems faced by less gifted mortals, nor did he seem to appreciate the value of the personal word of cheer and advice.
"Striding down the pavilion steps at Lord's like a stately white galleon in full sail"[10] he would go to the middle where "he hammered the ball with imperious power...Hammond hardly seemed to give the bowler a chance, even though he attacked the bowling constantly"[11] Hammond was recognised as the greatest batsman in the world, is still regarded as one of the greatest players in cricket,[12] and was ranked 9 in ESPN's Legends of cricket.
[18] Bradman never forgot this – or Bodyline – and when Hammond arrived to play a sporting tour to re-establish cricket after the war he was angered by the Australian captain's determination to win.
[9] Nevertheless, Hammond refused to be drawn into a public war, he did not make official complaints or even reveal to the press his concerns about umpiries, poor wickets, heavy rollers and aggressive fast bowling.
He was with the RAF in South Africa during the war, but returned to play in 1945 and in the first full county season in 1946 made 1,783 runs (84.90) including six centuries in seven innings, making him easily the best batsman in England.
On his arrival in Australia the news broke that he was divorcing his wife of 17 years to marry a South African beauty queen and the press had a field day.
It was a formidable array of run-getters who on past efforts appears to tower above everything we could put in the field, and in the absence of O'Reilly the position seemed bleak and without hope.
[31] He was the target of Lindwall and Miller's "opening blitz", but his only batting injury was when he was caught on the chin by the New South Wales fast bowler Ginty Lush and taken to hospital just before the Fifth Test.
Even so, he topped the England and MCC batting averages on the tour despite bearing the brunt of the Australian fast bowlers and he and Washbrook added 138, 137 and 100 for the first wicket in successive innings, matching the record of Hobbs and Sutcliffe in 1924–25.
Cyril Washbrook was the Lancastrian half of the Roses partnership, a batsman noted for his daring hooking and incisive cutting, though he proved a model of self-denial when England needed him.
[38][39] Compton was the golden boy of post-war cricket "illuminating the seemingly impossible stroke and playing shots which are so late that they appear to be afterthoughts.
"[40] He was restricted by Hammond's orders to stick to the crease as he liked to walk down the pitch to upset the slow bowlers – relying on his quick eye to keep him out of trouble – and was a shadow of himself until the Fourth Test when he ignored the captain's advice and made two centuries.
The balding and bespectacled Paul Gibb had a sensational tour of South Africa before in 1938–39, when he hit 473 runs (59.12) and two centuries, but in Australia was found to have a weakness against leg-spin and failed.
[46] James Langridge, Peter Smith and Bill Voce were bowlers who regularly made runs and even centuries for their counties, but Doug Wright's only hundred had become before the war and afterwards was relegated to the bottom of the batting order.
Alec Bedser was a tailender who was capable of hitting a few runs on occasion and Dick Pollard's lack of batting ability was cited as one of the reasons why he was not picked for a Test in the series.
Wright was the best bowler (23 at 44 runs apiece), Bedser was still an enthusiastic and tireless learner (15 at 54), but Bill Voce aged 37, in one of the hottest Australian summers, could not recapture the old magical fire.
Bill Voce was a name well-known down under, he had been Harold Larwood's left-arm new-ball partner in the Bodyline series of 1932–33 and had taken 8/66 using the same tactics when the Australians played Notts in 1934.
[49] Like Voce Dick Pollard was granted leave by the army to tour Australia, but was 34 years old, overweight and found that his swing bowling did not take to Australian conditions.
Norman Yardley was one of the finds of the tour, a 'bits and pieces' all rounder called on to bowl due to the failings of others he dismissed Bradman three times in a row and proved to be a valuable support bowler.
James Langridge was a veteran Slow Left Arm bowler who started his trade in 1924, and had taken 92 wickets (22.11) in 1946, but he was 41 years old on his first tour of Australia and just when he appeared to be finding his form he strained a muscle and could not play.
[55] Jack Ikin was a part-time leg-spinner whose bowling was thought to be of all round status early in his career (helped by the very poor wickets at Old Trafford), but Hammond used him rarely and he proved to be expensive in the Tests.
Both keepers fumbled chances on the tour, but Evans, playing in only his second full season of cricket was seen as the most improved player in the team and took lessons from Bert Oldfield who "did everything he could to assist him to attain the superb heights he ultimately reached".
[58] MCC missed chances innumerable, and, looking back over one's cuttings, it comes as a surprise to read how poor the English fielding, and especially the catching, was on this tour.
[32] Cyril Washbrook was an excellent cover fieldsman who flaunted his ability to throw down the stumps like a bullet and "if the runs he saved could have been added to those he made he would have boasted an aggregate to make Bradman envious".
