In this week’s edition of In Search of West Indies Cricket, the first of three parts, Roger Seymour looks at the uncanny conclusions to the Fourth Test match in three series between the West Indies and Australia
Prologue
Fourth Test, Melbourne, Australia, 3 January, 1952. It was the final session of the fourth day. The tension was insurmountable. The hosts’ 2 – 1 series lead was hanging by a slim thread. Australia’s last batsman, medium fast bowler Ian Johnston ambled down the pavilion steps to join Doug Ring, the number nine batsman. The world’s best pair of spinners, Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine, awaited his arrival at the centre of the world’s largest cricket cauldron.
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“So much advance speculation described the visit of West Indies to Australia in 1951-52 as a tour designed to decide the unofficial ‘cricket championship of the world’ …”, the initial words of the 1953 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack account of the series. The lofty expectations were based on the fact that both teams were unbeaten since the Second World War. The West Indies had defeated England twice, at home and abroad, and India away. The rampaging Australians had swept all and sundry in their path. In 26 Tests spread over six series, they retained the Ashes thrice, vanquished New Zealand, India and South Africa, whilst winning 19 times and suffering a solitary loss.
First Test, 9, 10, 12, 13, November, at Brisbane. Scores: West Indies, 216 and 245; E Weekes, 70, G Gomez, 55, D Ring, 6 for 80. Australia, 226; R Lindwall, 61, A Valentine, 5 for 99, and 236 for 7, S Ramadhin, 5 for 90. Australia won by three wickets.
Second Test, 30, November and 1, 3, 4, 5, December, at Sydney. Scores: West Indies, 362; R Christiani, 76, F Worrell, 64, C Walcott, 60, G Gomez, 54, and 290, E Weekes, 56, J Goddard, 57*. Australia, 517; L Hassett, 132, K Miller, 129, D Ring, 65, and 137 for 3. Australia won by seven wickets. Vital chances spilled in Australia’s first innings probably cost the West Indies a glorious opportunity to level the series.
Third Test, 22, 24, 25, December, at Adelaide. Scores: Australia, 82; F Worrell, 6 for 38, and 255, D Ring, 67, A Valentine, 6 for 102. West Indies, 105; W Johnston, 6 for 62, and 233 for four, J Stollmeyer, 47, G Gomez, 46*, R Christiani, 42*. West Indies won by six wickets. (In Search of West Indies Cricket, “Christmas cricket Down Under”, 24 December 2023).
Friday, 28 December, Adelaide, South Australia. Still riding high from their convincing victory in the Third Test, the West Indies team boarded the Overland Express, Australia’s best equipped train, for the 12-hour journey, covering over 450 miles to Melbourne, Victoria. Wicket keeper-batsman Clyde Walcott, who had not played since the Second Test, remained in Adelaide for treatment on a displaced disc in his spinal column, and later rejoined the team on the Sunday night, having flown to Melbourne.
The critical Fourth Test, the only back-to-back one of the tour, was slated to begin on Monday, 31 December. The West Indies Tour Selection Committee of Manager Cyril Merry, Captain John Goddard, and senior player Jeffrey Stollmeyer had the difficult task of assembling the final 11, as they were still having to deal with a weakened squad. Apart from Walcott, the opening batsman Roy Marshall, who had adequately replaced the out of form Allan Rae in the victorious Third Test, was still recovering from a pulled leg muscle, and Goddard, himself, was recovering from tonsilitis. In the end, Walcott and Marshall were considered unfit to last five days of Test cricket, and Goddard, very unconscious of the laws of the game, did not wish to have to seek the permission of the Australian captain to allow substitute(s), having selected unfit players. Thus, Simpson Guillen was retained as the wicketkeeper, Ken Rickards replaced Marshall, and the fast bowler John Trim went in for allrounder Denis Atkinson.
Meanwhile , the hosts were dealing with their own selection dilemma as Australia’s Captain Lindsay Hassett, who had missed the Third Test whilst suffering a crossed hip tendon returned to lead the side. Opener Jack Moroney was recalled to replace Jim Burke, as the musical chairs charade inclusive of Ken Archer, continued between the trio, to be Arthur Morris’ dance partner. An attempt by the Australian selectors to recall Sid Barnes, Morris’ favoured opening partner, for the Third Test had been overruled by the Australian Cricket Board.
New Year’s Eve, Melbourne, Victoria
Winning the toss, Goddard opted to bat, and an hour and a half later was probably questioning his decision, as the West Indies had been reduced to 30 runs for the loss of Jeff Stollmeyer, Everton Weekes, and Rickards. Frank Worrell and Gerry Gomez then revived the innings with a fourth wicket stand of 72 at a-run-a-minute pace, marked by excellent running between the wickets, before the latter nicked an edge to wicketkeeper Gil Langley. Robert Christiani joined Worrell, and aided by several unusual Australian lapses in the field as relatively easy chances were grassed, the pair compiled an enterprising partnership of 92, and seemed destined to propel the visitors to a solid score. Christiani, turned a delivery square with the wicket, and after a slight hesitation turned for a second run. The batsman should have known better than to challenge the slick arm of the fielding Neil Harvey, whose accurate return to Langley, beat Christiani by inches. Christiani had emulated Gomez’s contribution of 37, and likewise, failed to capitalize on a good start.
Worrell valiantly soldiered on, despite having received a painful blow on his right arm from a Keith Miller delivery before lunch. As the time passed, the pain in the arm increased as the ball struck the bat, forcing Worrell to withdraw his hand and bat virtually with one hand. He duly brought up his hundred with a three, the first Test century of the tour for the visitors. On the stroke of five, he played on to Ray Lindwall, bringing an end to a courageous innings of 108, which lasted 247 minutes and included seven fours. Displaying great skill, patience and selectivity, Worrell had guided the West Indies from the precarious position of seven for one to 221 for six. Goddard (21), Guillen (22*) and Valentine (14) all made useful contributions to the total of 272. Miller, who constantly troubled the West Indies’ batsmen, was the pick of the Australian attack with five for 60.
New Year’s Day, 1952
For the third successive Test in the series, three batsmen came out to open the innings, as Morris, in this instance suffering pulled thigh muscles, had twelfth man Geff Noblet as his runner. The hosts were quickly on the ropes as Trim dismissed Morris, who played on to the stumps (17 for one). Hassett was run out in a mix up with Moroney. One run later, Moroney fell to Ramadhin, trapped LBW. 49 for three. Miller then joined hometown favourite, Victoria’s very own, Neil Harvey, in the middle. A regular fixture in the Australian side for the past three years, from the age of 19, the left-handed Harvey was an electrifying batsman armed with an arsenal of attacking strokes. Nearly a decade older, Miller, a former World War II fighter pilot who had experienced several close shaves, was the ideal foil as the aggressive youngster took the fight to the West Indians.
A battle of wills ensued as Ramadhin and Valentine bowled tightly and the Australian duo displayed the temperament required at the highest level of the game. Exuding utmost patience they defended stoutly against the perfect line maintained by the spin duet, and punished any loose delivery with clean hard shots, often garnering boundaries. Goddard introduced himself, and Harvey greeted him with two vicious cuts and a magnificent drive, all crossing the boundary ropes. It took the guile of Ramadhin to capture Harvey’s wicket, accepting a boot top high return catch and gleefully tossing the ball into the air. It was ten minutes to four and the two-hour partnership had produced 124 runs. Harvey’s attacking innings of 83 was studded with 15 boundaries and placed the match on an even keel.
After tea, Goddard brought on Trim and Gerry Gomez, and once again, Australia’s brittle lower order collapsed. Trim, bowling fast and straight to the wicket cleaned up the lower order. First, he clean bowled Miller, whose restrained innings of 47 had occupied over two and a half hours, then trapped his new-ball partner, Ray Lindwall, LBW, for 13. Ian Johnson edged a catch to Guillen, and Ring was clean bowled. Gerry Gomez clean bowled Bill Johnston for one to claim the last wicket, as the Australians posted 216.
The last five wickets had tumbled like ninepins whilst just eight runs were added. 208. 209. 210. 215. 216. Trim, five for 34, had scuttled the hosts’ innings, and given the West Indies an unexpected lead of 56. This advantage had been achieved despite the absence of Worrell, who had been unable to take the field, and some questionable field placing, most notably when Harvey was gathering runs behind the wicket on the leg side where there was no fieldsman. Some observers might have suggested that this shortcoming was the fault of the bowlers who weren’t bowling to the set field.
The West Indies had the onerous task of facing Lindwall and Miller for just 25 minutes before the close of play. Goddard tinkered with the batting order, sending Guillen to open the innings with Stollmeyer. The experiment lasted all of three deliveries before Guillen lofted a chance to square leg, and Goddard, following as the nightwatchman, lasted all of two balls before succumbing to Lindwall, via the LBW route. West Indies, two wickets down for no runs. Rickards finally appeared, and survived to the close of play with the West Indies, 20 for two.
Wednesday, 2 January, 1952
Lindwall and Miller opened the bowling on the third morning, but it was the left-arm, fast medium of Bill Johnston which caused the initial damage, snaring both the wickets of Rickards and Weekes via the LBW trap. 60 for four. Stollmeyer, who was batting confidently and in full flow, was joined by Christiani, instead of the anticipated Worrell. Nonetheless, the new pair zealously attacked the Australian bowlers, pushing the score along, and just as the momentum appeared to be swinging in favour of the West Indies, Miller struck just before lunch. Stollmeyer, having batted without a blemish for just over two hours, was deceived by the allrounder, who managed to sneak one back, trapping the opening batsman LBW for 54. 97 for five.
Gomez replaced his fellow Trinidadian, and was quickly scampering between the wickets with Christiani, accumulating vital runs. Once again, it was Miller, who disrupted the proceedings, bowling Christiani between his pads, for 33, just as he looked set for a long innings. 128 for six. Worrell finally appeared much to the crowd’s approval, and the pendulum immediately began swinging again. Hassett took the new ball with the total on 159, and its arrival was greeted with an array of scoring shots as Lindwall and Miller failed to restrict the flow of runs. It took the return of Johnston to break the 62-run partnership, removing Worrell’s leg stump with a delivery that kept low. In just 83 minutes, Worrell’s inspirational 30-run cameo had taken the wind out of Australia’s sails. Albeit, 20 minutes later, following the needless run outs of Trim and Ramadhin, Gomez, the last decent batsman was bowled by Johnston for 52, as the innings came to a close at 203. Australia’s target was 260.
The same Australian trio from the first innings returned to commence the chase. Moroney retired hurt with the score on 13, after being struck on the funny bone by a sharp lifter from Trim. Morris followed soon after for 12, LBW to Valentine. Hassett and Harvey, playing cautiously, were able to safely navigate the spin duo for the rest of the afternoon, as too often, the spin duo failed to bowl a proper line. Australia, 68 for one at the end of the day.
Thursday, 3 January
Australia began the day requiring 192 to win, and with Hassett and Harvey coasting along were favoured to win the match and secure the series. At 12:10 pm, Valentine managed to sneak a ball through the gap of Harvey’s bat and pad. 93 for two. Moroney returned to the wicket and immediately was let off the hook by Valentine who dropped a simple return catch. Soon after Ramadhin atoned for his partner’s miss, trapping Moroney LBW for the second time in the match, having failed to add to his overnight score of five.
The larger than life figure of Keith Miller strode to the wicket to join his captain. Hassett, defensive and calm, was playing almost entirely off the back foot, giving himself extra time to watch the ball on the slow pitch. Having survived a clever first over from Valentine, in which he varied the turn on the ball, Miller pounced on a delivery turning away in the second, cut it harshly and set off on a run. Wicketkeeper Guillen began jumping up and down, pointing to the broken wicket and appealing loudly. The swashbuckling Miller had only succeeded in playing on to the stumps. 109 for four. Graeme Hole was the new batsman.
After lunch, Goddard switched the spin duet around, placing Ramadhin at the northern end, and moving Valentine to the southern end, a tactic which would be later questioned, when it appeared that Valentine was getting the job done. With the score on 144, Goddard called for the new ball, and handed it to Gomez and Worrell. Hole, a batsman who favoured the sweep shot, quickly fell to Worrell’s leg-side trap, pulling a delivery, waist high, straight into the safe hands of Gomez at leg slip. 147 for five.
Hassett’s army was losing the battle but the little general, who stood all of 5’ 6”, was a true warrior. His career had been interrupted by the World War, in which he enlisted and served in the Middle East and New Guinea. He had succeeded the great Don Bradman as his country’s captain, after serving as his deputy on the famous “Invincibles” Ashes Tour of 1948. Now Hassett showed his true mettle, as Lindwall arrived at the crease.
Goddard didn’t revert to the spinners immediately and Lindwall settled in. When Ramadhin was recalled Lindwall struck him for three fours, prompting Valentine’s return at 3:30. However, Ramadhin had the last laugh, luring Lindwall into the cut shot, after a series of leg-side deliveries, which he edged onto the waiting gloves of Guillen. 192 for six. At the other end, Hassett diligently applied his master’s touch, using his feet to counteract the wily duo and playing every ball on its merit. The score ticked along, Australia crawled slowly to the target, with Hassett at the helm, on his home ground, victory beckoned.
At tea, Australia were 56 shy.
The West Indies emerged from the break, with two substitutes, Atkinson replaced Trim, who had pulled a muscle, and Rae was fielding for Rickards, whose leg injury had returned. At 4:25 pm, the ground rose in a standing ovation as Hassett passed the century mark. It was a Captain’s knock. There was still work to do. Three maiden overs in succession. The battle intensified. At 4:40 pm, Guillen screamed to the heavens, Ian Johnson had nicked a catch to the wicketkeeper, as Ramadhin claimed his third victim. 218 for seven. With no further addition to the score, Valentine sneaked a delivery past the sure bat of Hassett, striking him on the pads. The Australian Skipper’s 323-minute vigilance had come to an end. It was a long walk back to the pavilion. The tailenders were now completely exposed. There was no one to shield them. Valentine was spinning the ball sharply, time to crowd the remaining batsmen. Goddard made no changes to the field. Fourteen minutes later, Gil Langley was struck plumb in front of the stumps; Valentine’s fifth victim of the innings, and the tenth LBW dismissal of the match. 222 for nine. 38 required.
Last pair
Number 11, Bill Johnston, was a bowler with no pretensions of being a batsman. Solid in defence, when he managed to play an attacking shot no one knew where the ball was going. He made his way to the middle of the pitch. The end was near. Everyone assumed it was merely a formality. He joined his Richmond Club – the “Tigers” – teammate Doug Ring, the number nine batsman. Ring was a known quantity to the West Indians. He had been a thorn in their side for the entire series. In the second innings of the First Test the burly leg spinner’s six-wicket haul, which included Worrell, Christiani, Walcott and Gomez, had led to an Australian victory. In the Second Test, with Australia leading by ten runs, and seven wickets down, poor tactics had allowed Ring to slug 65, and push the match out of the reach of the visitors. In The Third Test, sent in as the nightwatchman in the second innings, he hammered the West Indies attack for 67 to top score in the losing cause. Ring swung the bat with tremendous power, with scant regard for a bowler’s reputation or quality of delivery. He was prepared to swing lustily, as Valentine discovered in the Third Test when he was lofted for two sixes. Footwork was of no consequence, but he was tempered with discretion. Ring met his teammate halfway to the middle, probably the only two people in attendance who gave them any chance of winning. Johnston, no doubt buoyed by his innings of 28 in the Second Test, where he had added 32 for the last wicket with Langley, was confident. Ring instructed Johnston to get a single off Valentine as quickly as possible. Ring, backing up halfway down the pitch, seized the opportunity when his partner tapped a ball past the square-leg umpire. Ring then took 12 runs off the over. The pendulum swung again.
Goddard made no changes to the field. No pressure was applied to Ring to prevent the single so they could get at the rabbit, Bill Johnston. The fieldsmen appeared to be scattered indiscriminately, neither preventing the single, nor on the boundary to restrict the four. Ring cracked a four off Ramadhin over Atkinson’s head, who was at mid-wicket, yards away from the boundary. Only 16 required. The West Indies gathered to discuss tactics on several occasions. Nothing changed. Johnston advised Ring, “We’ll get them in singles.”
The pressure was switched to the visitors. Panic set in. A couple of run-out chances were missed. Ramadhin limped off with ten runs needed. Valentine returned to the fore. It was too late. At 5:35 pm, Johnston turned Worrell to fine leg, the batsmen scrambled the winning run. Inexplicably, in 35 minutes, the West Indies had surrendered. The series was over. Australia led 3 – 1.
Notes
In the game versus Western Australia, at Perth, just prior to the Third Test, the West Indies lost by one wicket, as the last pair added 48 to secure an improbable victory.
Fifth Test, 25, 26, 28, 29, January, 1952, at Sydney. Scores: Australia, 116, G Gomez, 7 for 55, and 377, K Miller, 69, L Hassett, 64, G Hole, 62, C McDonald, 62, F Worrell, 4 for 95.
West Indies, 78, K Miller, 5 for 26, and 213, J Stollmeyer, 104, R Lindwall, 5 for 52. Australia won by 202 runs.