1946 was the 47th season of County Championship cricket in England. It was the first full season of first-class cricket to be played in England after World War II. It featured a three-match Test series between England and India, which was arranged at short notice. Yorkshire retained the County Championship title, having been the last pre-war champions in 1939. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (1947 edition), in its review of the 1946 season, remarked that "the weather in 1946 might have been dreadful, but it didn't stop the crowds flocking to games". [1]
England managed to arrange a three-match series against India, whose team was captained by former England player Iftikhar Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi and included Vinoo Mankad, Vijay Merchant and future Pakistan captain Abdul Hafeez Kardar. Mankad was named by Wisden as one of its "Five Cricketers of the Year" in the 1947 edition.
England won the First Test thanks to Alec Bedser's 11 wickets on his debut. The Second Test was drawn after India's last two batsmen held out for the final 13 minutes with England well ahead, Bedser again having taken 11 wickets in the match. The Third Test was also drawn after being ruined by persistent rain.
| 1946 English cricket season – leading batsmen by average | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Innings | Runs | Highest | Average | 100s | |
| Wally Hammond | 26 | 1783 | 214 | 84.90 | 7 | |
| Vijay Merchant | 41 | 2385 | 242* | 74.53 | 7 | |
| Cyril Washbrook | 43 | 2400 | 182 | 68.57 | 9 | |
| Denis Compton | 45 | 2403 | 235 | 61.61 | 10 | |
| Martin Donnelly | 29 | 1425 | 142 | 52.77 | 6 | |
| Micky Walford | 10 | 472 | 141* | 52.44 | 2 | |
| 1946 English cricket season – leading batsmen by aggregate | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Innings | Runs | Highest | Average | 100s | |
| Denis Compton | 45 | 2403 | 235 | 61.61 | 10 | |
| Cyril Washbrook | 43 | 2400 | 182 | 68.57 | 9 | |
| Vijay Merchant | 41 | 2385 | 242* | 74.53 | 7 | |
| Laurie Fishlock | 46 | 2221 | 172 | 50.47 | 5 | |
| Dennis Brookes | 48 | 2191 | 200 | 50.95 | 7 | |
| Jack Robertson | 58 | 2114 | 128 | 38.43 | 5 | |
| 1946 English cricket season – leading bowlers by average | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Balls | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Average | |
| Arthur Booth | 5504 | 423 | 1289 | 111 | 11.61 | |
| Johnnie Clay | 4874 | 204 | 1742 | 130 | 13.40 | |
| Austin Matthews | 4160 | 215 | 1329 | 93 | 14.29 | |
| Ellis Robinson | 6830 | 354 | 2498 | 167 | 14.95 | |
| Bill Bowes | 3578 | 203 | 987 | 65 | 15.18 | |
| 1946 English cricket season – leading bowlers by aggregate | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Balls | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Average | |
| Eric Hollies | 9168 | 433 | 2871 | 184 | 15.60 | |
| Tom Goddard | 7862 | 358 | 3095 | 177 | 17.48 | |
| Ellis Robinson | 6830 | 354 | 2498 | 167 | 14.95 | |
| Jack Walsh | 5962 | 144 | 3012 | 148 | 20.35 | |
| Sam Cook | 6739 | 327 | 2477 | 133 | 18.62 | |