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Test Cricket Tours - England to Australia 1924-25

 

Tour of Australia 1924-25                    Captain :  Arthur Gilligan            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25th England Test tour.

(September 1924 - April 1925)

 

 

17th Test playing tour of Australia by England

   (previous tour 1920-21)

 

 

 

 

Jack Hobbs, unavailable at first, was added to the tour party on 12 August when M.C.C. agreed that his wife could accompany him on the six-month tour. He had considered going instead on Mr. S.B. Joel's tour of South Africa, which would be better paid and less arduous. M.C.C. allowed Hobbs to tour as an 'extra player' so that he need not displace anyone.

‘Ciss’ Parkin was not considered for the tour because he published articles criticising the use made of his bowling in the first Test match of 1924.

England suffered another bad tour, losing the Ashes series 4-1, but there was a large financial profit. M.C.C.'s 'Foreign Tours Fund' was exhausted by the demands of earlier New Zealand and Australian tours but the financial success of the 1924-25 tour helped the fund to recover.

Maurice Tate, with 38 wickets in the Tests, and 77 on the whole tour, created records that have still not been broken by an English tourist.

 

 

All England tours

 

 

Previous Test tour

South Africa 1922-23

 

Next Test tour

South Africa 1927-28

 

 

Next tour of Australia

1928-29

 

 

 

 

Members of the Test tour party (17)

 

 

Opening batsmen:  Jack Hobbs, Andrew Sandham,  Herbert Sutcliffe

Middle-order batsmen Jack Bryan, Percy Chapman, Jack Hearne, Patsy Hendren, Frank Woolley

Wicket-keeper: Herbert Strudwick, ‘Dodge’ Whysall

All-rounder:  Johnny Douglas

Slow bowlers: Tich Freeman, Roy Kilner, Dick Tyldesley.

Fast bowlers: Maurice Tate, Arthur Gilligan, Harry Howell.

 

 

 

 

 

J L  Bryan

Kt

28

LHB

 

A P F  Chapman

Brk

24

RHB

 

J W H T  Douglas

Ex

42

RHB       RFM     vice-captain

 

Freeman,  A P

Kt

36

LBG

 

A E R  Gilligan

Sx

30

RF      captain

 

Hearne,  J W

Mx

33

RHB      LB

 

Hendren,  E H

Mx

35

RHB

 

Hobbs,  J B

Sy

42

RHB  opener

 

Howell,  H

Wk

34

RFM

 

Kilner,  R

Yo

34

LHB      SLA

 

Sandham,  A

Sy

34

RHB  opener

 

Strudwick,  H

Sy

44

WK

 

Sutcliffe,  H

Yo

30

RHB opener

 

Tate,  M W

Sx

29

RFM

 

Tyldesley,  R K

La

27

LB

 

Wysall,  W

Nt

37

RHB       second WK

 

Woolley,  F E

Kt

37

LHB           SLA

 

 

 

 

  

County representation:

 

Ex  -  Essex (1)

Kt  -  Kent (3)

La - Lancashire (1)

Mx - Middlesex (2)

Nt - Nottinghamshire (1)

Sy - Surrey (3)

Sx - Sussex (2)

Wk - Warwickshire (1)

Yo - Yorkshire (2)

 

Brk -  Berkshire (1)

 

 

  

Average age of  team at time of first Test match

 (19 December 1924) :

    34 yrs  4 months.

 

 

 

Key to type:

RHB Right-handed bat

RM  Right arm medium-paced bowler

RFM  Right-arm fast medium

OB   Off-break

WK  Wicket-keeper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test Appearances made before the tour

 

Woolley 42,  Hobbs 38,  Douglas 22,  Hearne 19,  Strudwick 18,  Hendren 12,  Sandham 8,  Gilligan 6,  Howell 5,  Sutcliffe 5,  Tate 5,  Tyldesley, RK. 4,  Chapman 2,  Kilner 2,  Bryan 0,  Freeman 0,  Whysall 0.

 

 

 

 

 

Tour Officials

 

Fred Toone

Tour Manager

Bill Ferguson

Baggageman

 

Tom Langridge, an Australian physical training expert, who acted as 'masseur' to touring teams in the 1940's, helped M.C.C. during this tour.

 

 

 

 

 

Selectors

 

Lord Harris (chairman),  Arthur Gilligan,  Peter Perrin,  Pelham Warner and Jack Hobbs (adviser).

H.D.G.Leveson-Gower, John Daniel and John Sharp had helped in the selection of 'probables', announced on 9 June.

 

 

 

 

 

Selection

 

Unavailable:  Vallance Jupp;   Frank Mann (the original choice as captain) ; G E C (George) Wood.

Jack Hobbs was one of the first invited but was reluctant to tour owing to poor health and the length of time at sea. He was tempted by the less strenuous tour for S B Joel’s XI to South Africa and not persuaded to join the Ashes tour until late in August.

Tour Party Announced : (in three stages) On 23 July: Bryan, Chapman, Gilligan, Hendren, Sandham, Strudwick, Sutcliffe, Tate, Tyldesley, Woolley; on 30 July: Douglas, Freeman, Hearne, Kilner and Gibson; on 20 August:  Hobbs, Howell and Whysall.

Withdrawal : Clem Gibson, who had played no first-class cricket in 1924, withdrew, it was announced on 20 August, because he would be away in South America during the winter.

Not selected :  Percy Fender,  George Geary,  Ernest Tyldesley.

 

 

Time between selection and departure from England

   29 days

 (20 August - 18 September)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel

 

 

 

Tilbury     T      Fremantle

             ‘Ormonde’

 

 

There were two pre-tour matches:

 

Scarborough

C I Thornton's XI   v  South Africans

10-12 September

Kennington Oval

The Rest  v  Yorkshire (champion county)

13-16 September

 

Three tourists not playing in these matches, Freeman, Howell and Whysall, and the manager, Fred Toone, left Fenchurch Street Station, London, at 9:20 am on 13 September to catch the 'Ormonde' at Tilbury. On 18 September the main body of the team left Victoria Station to cross France overland and meet the 'Ormonde' at Toulon. Sailing via Naples and Port Said, the ship arrived at Colombo on 3 October to play a match.

The team disembarked at Fremantle at 6:30 on the morning of 14 October. They were met by the baggageman Ferguson, and drove the 12 miles to Perth.

 

 

Time spent in Australia

    156 days

(14 October - 19 March)

 

 

 

On-tour selection panel

 

Arthur Gilligan (captain),   Johnny Douglas,  Percy Chapman,  Frank Woolley  and Jack Hobbs (senior professionals).

 

 

 

 

 

Reinforcements

 

None

 

 

 

 

 

Fixtures/Results

 

The match against Western Australia Colts was not on the original tour programme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was no time for the matches at Albury after the first Test, against Bendigo after the second, and Geelong after the third. They were not played because the Test matches were made timeless.

 

a

ϯ Colombo

Ceylon  (1-day)

Drawn

b

Perth

Western Australia

Drawn

c

ϯ Perth

Western Australia Colts XV   (2-day)

Drawn

d

Perth

Western Australia

Won inns 190

e

ϯ Kalgoorlie

Goldfields Association XI   (2-day)

Drawn

f

Adelaide

South Australia

Won 9 w

g

Melbourne

Victoria

Lost 6 w

h

Sydney

New South Wales

Won 3 w

i

Brisbane

Queensland

Drawn

j

Brisbane

An Australian XI

Drawn

k

ϯ Toowomba

Toowoomba XI   (2-day)

Won inns 126

l

ϯ Sydney

Australian Juniors XII   (3-day)

Drawn

m

SYDNEY

AUSTRALIA  First Test  (timeless)

LOST 195 r

 

ϯ Albury

Southern Districts of N S W

  not played

n

MELBOURNE

AUSTRALIA  Second Test   (timeless)

LOST 81 r

 

ϯ Bendigo

Bendigo

 not played

o

ϯ Ballarat

Ballarat   (2-day)

Drawn

p

ADELAIDE

AUSTRALIA  Third Test   (timeless)

LOST 11 r

 

ϯ Geelong

Geelong

 not played

q

Launceston

Tasmania

Won 119 r

r

Hobart

Tasmania

Won inns 136

s

Melbourne

Victoria

Won inns 271

t

MELBOURNE

AUSTRALIA  Fourth Test   (timeless)

WON inns 29

u

Sydney

New South Wales

Drawn

v

SYDNEY

AUSTRALIA   Fifth Test   (timeless)

LOST 307 r

w

ϯ West Maitland

Northern Districts of N S W  XV  (2-day)

Drawn

x

Adelaide

South Australia 

Lost 10 w

 

 

 

† not first-class

 

 

 

Time spent in Australia before First Test:  

 66 days

(14 October - 19 December)

 

 

 

 

 

Test appearances on tour

(v Australia 1924-25)

 

 

5 -   Gilligan, Hendren, Hobbs, Strudwick, Sutcliffe, Tate, Woolley.

4 -   Chapman, Hearne.

3 -   Kilner, Whysall.

2 -   Freeman, Sandham.

1 -   Douglas, Tyldesley.

0 -   Bryan, Howell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Match appearances

 

 

 

T  Test match

x other match 

p  practice match

 

 W won  L lost  D drawn

N no result   C  cancelled 

A abandoned

u unknown result

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

p

q

r

s

t

u

v

w

x

Bryan

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

 

 

 

Chapman

x

x

 

x

 

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

T

T

x

T

x

x

 

T

x

 

 

 

Douglas

 

x

 

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

x

 

 

T

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

Freeman

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

 

x

x

x

x

T

 

x

T

 

x

 

 

x

 

x

x

Gilligan

x

x

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

 

x

x

T

T

x

T

x

x

 

T

x

T

x

x

Hearne

 

x

 

x

 

x

x

 

 

 

x

x

T

T

x

 

x

 

x

T

 

T

x

x

Hendren

 

 

 

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

 

x

T

T

 

T

x

x

 

T

x

T

 

x

Hobbs

 

 

x

x

 

x

x

x

x

 

x

x

T

T

 

T

 

 

 

T

 

T

 

 

Howell

x

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

 

x

x

x

 

 

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

 

x

x

Kilner

x

x

x

 

x

 

x

x

 

x

x

x

 

 

x

T

x

x

x

T

x

T

x

x

Sandham

x

x

x

 

x

 

x

x

x

x

x

x

T

 

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

T

x

x

Strudwick

 

x

 

x

 

x

 

x

 

x

x

 

T

T

 

T

 

 

x

T

 

T

 

 

Sutcliffe

x

x

x

 

x

x

 

x

x

x

x

x

T

T

 

T

 

x

x

T

 

T

x

 

Tate

x

x

x

x

x

x

 

x

x

 

x

 

T

T

 

T

x

x

x

T

 

T

x

x

Tyldesley

x

x

x

 

x

x

 

x

x

x

 

 

 

T

x

 

x

 

x

 

x

 

x

x

Whysall

x

 

x

x

x

 

x

 

x

 

 

x

 

 

x

T

x

x

x

T

x

T

x

x

Woolley

 

x

x

 

x

x

x

 

 

 

 

 

T

T

 

T

 

 

 

T

x

T

x

x

 R E S U L T S

D

D

D

W

D

W

L

W

D

D

W

D

L

L

D

L

W

W

W

W

D

L

D

L

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highlights

 

  In the first Test Hobbs and Sutcliffe made opening partnerships of 157 and 100, each man scoring a century and a fifty.

  Frank Woolley also scored a century (123) in the first Test at Sydney but England lost by a wide margin.

   Maurice Tate captured eleven wickets in the first Test and another nine in the second at Melbourne.

   Jack Hobbs (154) and Herbert Sutcliffe (176) then shared an opening stand of 283 in the second Test

   Sutcliffe scored another century (127), becoming the first batsman to score a hundred in each innings against Australia

   Jack Hobbs equalled Sutcliffe by scoring his third century of the series at Adelaide

   Sutcliffe scored a fourth hundred (143) in the 4th Test at Melbourne in yet another century opening stand with Hobbs

   Tate finished the series with another nine wickets at Sydney, giving him 38 wickets in the five Tests, a record for England against Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tour Summary

 

 

 F

W

L

 D

Aban

Test Matches

  5

1

4

  0

-

Other first-class matches

12

6

2

  4

-

Minor matches

  7

1

0

  6

-

All Matches

24

8

6

10

-

 

 

 

 

F  Fixtures   W  Won   L  Lost   D Drawn   T  Tied  Canc  Cancelled  Aban  abandoned

 

 

 

 

Return to England

Sydney      T      Auckland

               ‘Aorangi’

 

Adelaide      T      Marseilles

                  ‘Majola’

 

 

 

Percy Chapman did not accompany the team when it left Sydney’s Central Station for Melbourne on Sunday 8 March. He sailed by the ss Aorangi to New Zealand  where he was married to Tom Lowry’s sister.  Jack Bryan left by the same boat to return to England by way of Fiji, Hawaii and America.

On 12 March 1925 the rest of the team left Melbourne by train for the final tour match at Adelaide, and sailed from there on P & O mail boat 'Maloja' on 19 March.  Their departure was delayed by the Maloja  grounding on a sandbank at the mouth of the harbour. The ship had to be refloated by tugs at high tide, and departed at noon next day.

While the mail steamer was in port at Fremantle on 21 March the team disembarked briefly; the ship’s captain held up his departure for an hour to allow them to play a football match against  Western Australia.

Sailing via Colombo, Aden (9 April) and Port Said, the ship reached Marseilles on 18 April and, travelling overland by rail, the team arrived at Victoria Station next day, to an enthusiastic reception.

 

 

Time away from England

    213 days  

(18 September -19 April)

 

 

 

 

Finances

 

 

The players were paid £400 per man, plus out of pocket expenses.

 

 

 

 

Accounts of the tour

 

"Gilligan's Men"  by Monty Noble  (Chapman & Hall, 1925).

 

 

 

 

 

Postscript

 

 

 

 

 

 

The team was reassembled in September 1925 for two festival  matches at Scarborough and Folkestone:

Scarborough

C I Thornton's XI   v  M C C  Australian Touring Team

5 - 7  September 1925

Folkestone

A E R Gilligan's XI   v  L H Tennyson's XI

9 - 11  September 1925

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




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