Australian cricket team in New Zealand in 1945–46 | |||
---|---|---|---|
New Zealand | Australia | ||
Dates | 1 March 1946 – 30 March 1946 | ||
Captains | Walter Hadlee | Bill Brown | |
Test series | |||
Result | Australia won the 1-match series 1–0 | ||
Most runs | Merv Wallace (24) | Bill Brown (67) | |
Most wickets | Jack Cowie (6) | Bill O'Reilly (8) |
The Australian national cricket team toured New Zealand in March 1946, playing a single Test match against New Zealand's national team.
The Australians opened the tour with first-class matches against the four Plunket Shield teams, winning all by large margins, three of them by an innings.
The Test, played at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, was the first played between the two countries, and the first Test played after the conclusion of World War II. Australia (captained by Bill Brown), won the match by an innings and 103 runs, having bowled out New Zealand (captained by Walter Hadlee) twice in less than two days. The two national sides did not again meet in Tests until New Zealand toured during the 1973–74 season.
Teams from the Australian colonies had visited New Zealand as early as the 1877–78 season, when a combined Australian team played several matches against New Zealand teams. [1] These tours persisted well into the early 20th century, with unofficial Test matches between national representative sides occurring during both the 1909–10 and 1913–14 tours. [2] [3] However, no full internationals were played, owing to the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket's perception of New Zealand as a second-class team. [4] [5] Despite this, New Zealand played its first Test series when an English team toured during the 1929–30 season. [6] Australia had not played an official Test series since its 1938 tour of England, with New Zealand's last Test series occurring on its tour of England the previous season. [4]
A Test tour by Australia, planned for February and March 1940, was cancelled after the outbreak of the Second World War. An itinerary of 14 matches – three Tests, four first-class matches against Plunket Shield teams, and seven other matches – had been arranged, and it was expected that Don Bradman would lead a strong team. [7] [8] [9]
Cricket during World War II had been severely limited in both countries, although an Australian Services team, captained by Lindsay Hassett, had played a series of "Victory Tests" during the 1945 English season. [10]
29–30 March 1946 Scorecard |
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The status of the match at the time was uncertain, and the game was not recognised as an official Test until March 1948. [11] Instead of the usual baggy greens, the Australians wore caps and blazers marked "ABC" (for "Australian Board of Control"). [4] Both teams included several debutants—of the twenty-two players in the match, thirteen were making their debut. [12] Australia's best batsman and usual captain Don Bradman declined to tour, having suffered from regular bouts of fibrositis. [13] Queensland batsman Bill Brown was selected as captain in his place, although Lindsay Hassett had also been suggested for the position. [14] New Zealand was skippered by Otago batsman Walter Hadlee, with pre-war captain Curly Page having retired. [4] Australia included seven debutants for the Test, many of whom would go on to play large roles for the national side in later tours, including during the 1948 "Invincibles" tour. The match was also Bill O'Reilly's last at Test level. [14]
The New Zealand national cricket team represents New Zealand in men's international cricket. Named the Black Caps, they played their first Test in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. From 1930 New Zealand had to wait until 1956, more than 26 years, for its first Test victory, against the West Indies at Eden Park in Auckland. They played their first ODI in the 1972–73 season against Pakistan in Christchurch.
The Australian cricket team in England in 1948 is famous for being the only Test match side to play an entire tour of England without losing a match. This feat earned them the nickname of "The Invincibles", and they are regarded as one of the greatest cricket teams of all time. According to the Australian federal government, the team "is one of Australia's most cherished sporting legends". The team was captained by Don Bradman, who was making his fourth and final tour of England.
William Alfred Brown, was an Australian cricketer who played 22 Test matches between 1934 and 1948, captaining his country in one Test. A right-handed opening batsman, his partnership with Jack Fingleton in the 1930s is regarded as one of the finest in Australian Test history. After the interruption of World War II, Brown was a member of the team dubbed "The Invincibles", who toured England in 1948 without defeat under the leadership of Don Bradman. In a match in November 1947, Brown was the unwitting victim of the first instance of "Mankading".
Arthur Robert Morris was an Australian cricketer who played 46 Test matches between 1946 and 1955. An opener, Morris is regarded as one of Australia's greatest left-handed batsmen. He is best known for his key role in Don Bradman's Invincibles side, which made an undefeated tour of England in 1948. He was the leading scorer in the Tests on the tour, with three centuries. His efforts in the Fourth Test at Headingley helped Australia to reach a world record victory target of 404 on the final day. Morris was named in the Australian Cricket Board's Team of the Century in 2000 and was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2001.
Arthur Lindsay Hassett was an Australian cricketer who played for Victoria and the Australian national team. The diminutive Hassett was an elegant middle-order batsman, described by Wisden as, "... a master of nearly every stroke ... his superb timing, nimble footwork and strong wrists enabled him to make batting look a simple matter". His sporting career at school singled him out as a precocious talent, but he took a number of seasons to secure a regular place in first-class cricket and initially struggled to make large scores. Selected for the 1938 tour of England with only one first-class century to his name, Hassett established himself with three consecutive first-class tons at the start of the campaign. Although he struggled in the Tests, he played a crucial role in Australia's win in the Fourth Test, with a composed display in the run-chase which sealed the retention of the Ashes. Upon returning to Australia, he distinguished himself in domestic cricket with a series of high scores, becoming the only player to score two centuries in a match against Bill O'Reilly—widely regarded as the best bowler in the world.
Walter Arnold Hadlee was a New Zealand cricketer and Test match captain. He played domestic first-class cricket for Canterbury and Otago. Three of his five sons, Sir Richard, Dayle and Barry played cricket for New Zealand. The Chappell–Hadlee Trophy, which is competed for by ODI teams from New Zealand and Australia is named in honour of the Hadlee family and the Australian Chappell family.
Ernest Raymond Herbert Toshack was an Australian cricketer who played in 12 Tests from 1946 to 1948. A left arm medium paced bowler known for his accuracy and stamina in the application of leg theory, Toshack was a member of Don Bradman's "Invincibles" that toured England in 1948 without being defeated. Toshack reinforced the Australian new ball attack of Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller.
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